Wherever you are : Chicory
by Pineapple3000
Summary: The sequel SEQUEL SEQUEL SEQUEL! to Wherever you are: DAISY. What happens to Chicory Docks, seven years after the 93rd Hunger Games? In the midst of the 100th Games, the 4th Quarter Quell, four rules will be changed. MUAHAHAHA!
1. Keep Walking, It's Reaping Day

**Chicory Flowers in the Field is the sequel to "A daisy in the arena".**

**It takes place about seven years after the 93rd Hunger Games, after Chicory whitnessed her sister compete. So, without further adew, here's what happens next! **

_**past flashbacks **_**present**

* * *

**_PROLOGUE:_  
**

"I'm scared, Zev."

He kisses her back and strokes her red hair. And starts singing her the lullaby. The same one she sang him, the one that made him fall in love with her.

His voice isn't as pretty as my sister's but it's clear and strong, save a few sniffs now and then.

Asterae's eye's blink a few times as she looks at the sun through the trees. They close slowly as the last words escape from Zev's trembling mouth.

"I love you."

Her canon fires.

Zev screams and howls in pain, crying,hugging her body kissing her cheeks rocking her like the boy from eleven did for the beat up girl from nine. The minutes roll one after the other.

Finally her lets her go, puts her body down. _Letting it sleep._ Then, before Delphi can even react (but how can she? She's just sitting there, immoblelized) he picks up his knife and his eyes fixed on my sister, plunges it into his heart. His canon fires. Trumpets bang in the arena.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to present the winner of the 93rd Hunger Games!"

"From District Four, Delphi Fae!"

* * *

_It's raining outside. Very common for late summer. I walk out the house, the one my sister left so empty, cold and ghostly, and step into the pouring rain. Like a sleepwalker, I go to the field, the chicory field. I'm soaking wet before I reach it but I don't care. The rain washes the tears that fall from my eyes as I fall to my knees in the long grass. The daisies grew and doubled in numbers since she left. Now the field is speckled with white and blue flowers. With the loud sobs coming from my body, the rain freezing me all the way to my core, I lie down and shiver, convulsing like Rory sometimes does in his fits. It's been hours when the rain falls less hard and someone finds me, curled up, clutching a bunch of daisies. Penny. I must look terrible but I don't care at all. There aren't anymore tears for my eyes to cry. She kneels next to me, lifts me up and hugs me tightly as if she's scared I might fly away. "I found her!" she cries with alarm, and a group of people come and carry me home. To my empty, cold, ghostly home..._

The flashbacks have increased lately. Its been years since then. I'm fifteen now, grown up, "turning into a lovely young lady" or so they say.

But I died with my sister in the arena, seven years ago. At least, part of me did. I grew up extraordinarally quickly after that, both physically and mentally. As if tiny, young Chicory did indeed die in the arena, leaving a hole to be filled in her old body. Since then, my mother was heartbroken both by my sister's death and then again when my father died four years ago. Mine explosion. Didn't notice his canary had...stopped singing. Like my sister had stopped. My mother had been working, doing laundry for others, cooking in some places and making teas and selling them. But she never went back to work after Father died. I guess the shock was too great for her. She just sits in bed or in the rocking chair all day, staring into space. So I had to care for myself and her. I could have just sat there with my mother, I did at first, but something my sister had said in the arena somehow kept me going.

"Keep Walking".

I didn't know what to do when my father died. After my heart healed somewhat, I went to the fence that surrounded the district, by instincts. I felt trapped, like I a bird desperate to escape the cage. I was looking for a hole in the fence when I remembered my sister once told me that the electric currant in the fence sounded like a hum, the buzz of a bumblebee. In District Twelve, we only got a few hours of electricity anyway. I cautiously stepped closer to the barbwire fence: it was silent. Heart pounding, I took a deep breath and left district twelve.

The meadow. Much more vast than my sister's little field. I was breathless because the air of freedom couldn't enter my lungs. The air that smelled of rain, of trees, of dirt and wild flowers. I ran into the grass, tripped into the sea of the wild. I looked back to the fence. The district was so different from this angle. I walked until I came upon a small group of fruit trees. We had some in the district but they never bore any fruit. One bite of an apple sent chills in my throat. The sweet, tangy juice spilled and I devoured three more. I picked two dozen apples from the tree and carried them home in my long skirt. I kicked the door open and went to my mother who was still in bed, staring at the ceiling. I made her eat an apple and from then on I slowly learned how to fend for the both of us.

That winter, an older boy from the Seam was in the woods hunting with a bow. He'd also set traps, snares like the ones from the Games. I watched him from behind a tree and he mistook me for a meal and shot an arrow right at me. It lodge in the tree, thankfully. I pulled it out and gave back to him.

"Where did you get your bow? How do you know how to make snares?" I asked shakily.

"From my father. Taught me a lot, when he was alive." he said.

"Could you?"

"Could I what?"

"T-teach me?"

He took a good long look at me. I think he recognized me, because he knew my sister, maybe. And finally, he said:

"Sure."

His name was Nathan but as we grew familiar with eachother, I nicknamed him Nate. His hair was strangely blond and his eyes the brightest shade of blue. Like the sky, like chicory flowers. He had a family of three to feed with his hunting. His mother, his little sister and himself. A big responsibility for a seventeen year old: apparently, he'd been hunting for eight years, six of them by himself, since his father died. His mother was like mine. Dead inside. We helped each other out, sharing our game, making sure no one in the other's family starved. We became friends.

I taught him to use the mockingjays as signals between us. Warning calls, telling each other the time, etc. Thanks to him, by spring that year I could hunt as well as he did. I showed him the fruit trees and as thanks, he made me a bow.

Hunting partners, Friends, Accomplices, Neighbors, two kids from the Seam.

Penny helped me too. Her father had grown very ill and stayed in bed most of the time, so she looked after of the shop with her mother who took care of her siblings as well. When I'd go to trade some game for supplies, she'd give me a little extra. And a piece of licorice. We talked at school again, and even ate lunch together.

Alfee jumps onto my bed, almost crushing my rib cage. I hadn't noticed how big he'd gotten. He pushes his head in my face, begging me to scratch him. I do and he melts in my arms. He's about as long as one of my legsand when he stands next to me his shoulders go up to the middle of my thighs. I first found him in the snow.

Three years ago, I was hunting in the woods in late winter, alone : Nate had cought a cold and needed bed rest. So I went out to hunt for both our families. It had been a few hours and not one animal had made itself noticed. I was heading back, empty handed when loud barks sent birds flying away. I ran to where it was coming from and found him. A coyote cub, trying his best to fend off a gray wolf. An adult coyote, probably its mother or father, lay in a small pool of blood. A bright red contrast on the white snow. Without thinking, I pulled an arrow and shot the wolf. Luckily, it hadn't had time to smell me. The cub was whining painfully and I pushed away the dead wolf and picked him up. He didn't try to bite me so I placed him in my jacket and zipped it shut, hoping my body heat was enough to warm his ice-cold body up. I brought him home, fed him and took care of him ever since. Nate suggested the name "Alfee". Said it meant "Wise Friend". Which Alfee is. I trained him to help me hunt and thanks to him, my game bag is never empty after a day's hunting.

"Hello Alfee. Is it morning already?" I ask him while I brush him silver and brown fur. His pelt is very valluable; it could buy me and my mother two months of coal and oil! But what is that compared to all the game he brings me? As well as his unconditional love for me.

I get up and see my mother in the doorway. Usually, I'm up hours before she is, and I wonder if I've overslept. I have because I realize it's almost one in the afternoon. I see she's carrying a chicory-blue dress and a matching ribbon. She's even embroydered a little chicory and a daisy on the upper-left pocket, right where my heart is. After a quick bath, she braids my brown-red hair and puts it up, holding it with numerous pins. She weaves in the ribbon and lets me look at the result. I'm beautiful. I slip into the dress and we both head out to the public square. Alfee comes and follows me on my heels, like I've taught him to (so he doesn't go wander everywhere). My sister's necklace hangs from my neck. The capitol sent us her earring with her body. It hangs, from my left ear.

The mayor welcomes us and I go stand with everyone else. I tell Alfee to go with my mother.

Our district's escort, Leefa Pipkins, walks onto the stage. She's from the capitol and has never, ever worn the same style once. This year she's wearing a funny looking white bird on her mountain of pale yellow hair. Her outfit is matched in color and a stitched white bird flies on her chest, one of its wings turning into a feathered sleeve. Our district's mentor, an aging man in his fifties, sits in a chair. He won the 66th Games at the age of eighteen, thirty-four years ago. Which makes him fifty-two. Leefa walks, well, hops on her incredibly high heels, to the front of the stage, to the microphone that has been placed between the two glass bowls.

One for the boys, one for the girls. One, I think, containing my name sixteen times for the Tessera I've had to sign up for and for the four years I've been eligible for the games. Nate's name is in neither since he is now twenty-one, therefore safe. But his little sister Hannah, who's thirteen, isn't. Nate never let her take any Tessera so she has good odds though.

Leefa taps the microphone and speaks in her silly Capitol accent.

"Welcome everyone, to this year's 100th edition of the Hunger Games! For this year's fourth quarter-quell and 100th anniversary, we've made certain rule changes!"

**I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please Review! :)**


	2. The Hunger Games' 100th Aniversary

**The 4rth quarter-quell, the 100th anniversary of the Hunger Games.**

**What do the Gamemakers have in store for us?**

**Enjoy! ;)**

* * *

I stand tall and try to appear strong. I'm not a weakling like Delphi Fae. Leefa continues.

"As you all know, every twenty-five years, the Gamemakers change a rule. It is the Quarter-Quell and this year, in honor of the Hunger Games 100th anniversary, they have decide to change four rules instead of just one. So here are the new rules:

1- The training period, usually three days, will now be the duration of one week.

2-To spice things up, the eligibility limit has been modified. The lowest age is now fifteen and the highest is twenty.

3-The victors of other districts will mentor the tributes of a district that is not their own.

4-As well as their tokens, the tributes may bring a weapon of their choice into the arena.

Please note that these rule changes apply only to this year. Every modification will go back to normal next year.

What fun this year will be!"

Leefa is practically squealing with excitement. It takes time for the news of the rule changes to sink in. They stretched the training period, that's good. Now that the age limit starts at fifteen, Hannah is safe for another year. Each tribute can bring a weapon in the arena, which means they'll be already armed once the countdown starts. The idea of another district's victor mentoring a tribute from our district is the most concerning. Before I can think more on it, Leefa speaks again, with her squeaky capitol voice.

"Ladies first!" and she walks over to the bowl that holds my name sixteen times. She plunges her hand in the papers and pulls one out.

"Chicory Docks!" I had tried to prepare myself. I knew the odds were not in my favor, and that I just might be picked. Still, it didn't stop me from shaking as I took one step after the other towards the stage. It was like I was watching everything take motion. My movements looked strange to me, like they weren't my own. At the base of the stage, Leefa stretches her arm to help me up the steps. They seem to be impossible to climb, as if each is miles apart. But finally, I'm standing right next to Leefa.

"And now, for the gentlemen." She hops over to the other bowl and picks a slip of paper from the great heap.

"Deanen Hacher" A tall black headed boy, who looks to be around nineteen, goes through the maze of people and walks up the steps and stands next to Leefa. "Please shake hands." We do and I try to give him a reassuring squeeze. He smiles back and returns the squeeze. Then, Leefa says goodbye and leads us off the stage and into the Justice building where our families will come visit us before we leave for the Capitol. Leefa, though very pretty, proves to be an annoyance of sorts. She keeps congratulating us and telling us how lucky we are and how much we'll love the Capitol.

I wait for my mother in a small room. I fiddle with my hands until she comes in. She takes me into a big hug, the kind I haven't known in years. Although I try my best to fend them off, the tears fall onto my cheeks. I know I'll be filmed once I get out of the building so I try to hold it together.

"I know you can win, Chicory. I know it."

"My mentor will be from another district. What if he cheats and makes me die so the tribute from his district can have a better chance of winning?"

"He won't. Every mentor will be strictly surveyed so they don't cheat like that." She pauses to wipe my wet cheeks. She has a very strange calmness. I would've expected her to be frantic and borderline crazy.

"I took the liberty of asking your escort the rules concerning the weapon you can bring. And, according to her, you can bring Alfee with you."

"What? Bring Alfee?"

"Yes. He'll protect you and fight with and hunt with you. You should bring him. You might stand a better chance if you do."

She's right. I should, even if it seems somewhat cruel. And it'll be nice to have someone who loves me by my side. I nod and my mother hugs me tighter and leaves. Nate comes in. He hugs me too and speaks.

"If you can, get your hands on a bow, find water and shelter, like a tree. But get a bow at least because you know how to use it. You can win, Chicory." He hugs me tight, and I gladly bury my face in his shoulder and cry. He does too because I feel his tears fall on my head as he kisses my hair. "If I don't come back, please take care of my mother. Don't let her starve and don't let her go away again."

"I will." He hugs me tighter and lets go when the white peop-I mean peacekeepers come and tell him his time is up. My next visitor is Penny. She's crying too. She flings her arms around me and sobs, as if it's her that's been picked and not me. _I'm _the one who ends up comforting _her_.

"Promise me you'll come back, right?"

"I promise, Penny." She tries to smile but it looks like a weird sideways "S". So half smiling, half frowning, she lets me go and leaves.

I barely wait a moment before Leefa comes bursting in.

"I've just finished explaining everything with your fellow tribute, Mr. Deanen. I suppose your mother told you about the whole weapon-rule-change? Concerning your…dog, Alfee? (I nod and she continues) Well, you'd better go get him before the train…Good gracious! Wipe those tears away child! Do you want everyone to think your weak? Well, maybe you do…Anyway, the train arrives soon so hurry up! Run along now."

I vigorously wipe my face on my sleeves when I see my reflection in the window. My mother is waiting for my right outside the Building, Alfee practically jumping once he sees me. I give my mother one last hug and she wishes me good luck. Then I walk to the peacekeepers, who've come to lead me to the train, Alfee following me on my side.

The train is amazing and sickening at the same time. Its interior décor is magnificent and glossy like a new rose. But there's so much in this train for so few people while we have so little for so many, it makes me want to throw up. I decide to sit down in one of the many sofas. They're covered in very soft fabric but not as soft as Alfee's fur. He sits up on the sofa and puts his head on my lap so I can scratch his ears. I do and I stroke his fur mechanically. It's calming me down considerably. Leefa finally comes bubbling into the room I'm in, carrying a handful of papers. She sits down in a cushioned chair and speaks to herself now and then. Deenen enters and sits in a sofa next to mine. We don't really talk much so the train ride to the Capitol will probably be really long.

So far I've been trying to repel whatever emotions I have, because I now they only wish to hurt me. I don't think I can take it anymore, so I excuse myself and go to my assigned room. It's beautiful, just like the rest of the train. I lie down in the bed (Alfee hops unto it and settles down next to me) and I try to make sense of the events of the day. I do so, by going over in my head everything I know about it so far.

I'm fifteen and my name was in the bowl sixteen times. I am the female tribute of district twelve. I can hunt and gather some edible plants. I have Alfee with me because this year is the 4rth Quarter-Quell which is why they changed four rules. I'm on my way to the Capitol.

* * *

**Can't wait to write more! I apologize for the long chapters…I get carried away. :P Please review! :) **


	3. Wasted Luxury

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you like it! :)**

**Chicory has a dream, it's written in **_**Italic**_

* * *

The bathroom is as big as my room, and very…clean. Spotless, really. A huge mirror hangs above the white porcelain sink and there's even a shower. I don't need to take one though. What I do need, is to get the red out of my eyes. In the lobby of the train, there's a luxurious dining table that holds ten different dishes, at least a dozen beverages and an assortment of soups, cheeses, cakes and breads. It's so _rich_ I can't help but let my jaw fall and gawk at Leefa, who's barely taken a bite of a bread roll, when she tosses it to a boy so he can throw it out. The boy's an avox. All the servants are. The thought of him no longer being to speak, his tongue being cut out…makes me queasy and I almost decide to not eat and just go to bed. But then the smell of the roast beef wafts to my nose and I have to swallow several times so I don't drool all over myself. I sit down at the table and am immediately flabbergasted by the selection of cutlery. There are ten different kinds of spoons, forks and knives. I've no idea which I'm supposed to use so I discreetly and fervently glance at Leefa who knows this kind of stuff like the back of her hand. We start with a cold beat soup that tastes sweet. Leefa talks about what her job is and I realize the victor from our District hasn't joined and when I ask her about it, she says all the victors have been called for a meeting to decide how they'll distribute them to all twelve Districts. After the meal is over, an avox girl with remarkable eyes brings a tray of desserts. I thank her and grab a little round cake filled with a deep purple sweet paste. Leefa tells me it's called a moon cake. It's delicious but very dry so I grab a cup of something hot and drink a big gulp. The shock of the content on my tongue almost makes me spew it out. Not because it tastes bad but because it's so rich and flavourful. I take smaller sips as Leefa tells me:

"That's chicory coffee with a spoonful of chocolate. Your sister had a soft spot for it."

I choke on the coffee. She escorted my sister? I hadn't noticed her when my sister was tribute. I'm suddenly overcome by curiosity and I have about a million questions in my head. Sadly though, she politely retreats to her room and leaves me and Deanen alone. He then excuses himself and goes to his as well, looking green. I'm nauseated all of a sudden. I'm not used to this rich food and it's hard to stomach even if it tasted delicious. I refuse to waste a good meal though, and I ignore the impulse to puke. Before the avox boy and girl can clear the table, I grad a rib from a roasted pig with a chunk of meat on it and I give it to Alfee once I enter my room.

While he gnaws on it I flip on the television where there replaying the reapings from the other Districts. Most of the tributes are around adulthood, being big, strong and all. Most of them look stunned. Those who are above the age of eighteen mostly are. They were supposed to be safe from the games but then they changed the rule. Deanen is nineteen years old. His wife Marilla had a baby on the way and that's why he started working in the mines. The unfairness of it all doubles my nausea and I'm about to turn off the screen when a girl with red hair gets picked from District seven. She doesn't resemble my sister much besides the red hair. Still…

I quickly turn of the television and change out of my dress. I don't bother to undo my hair and I leave the necklace and earring on me. I slip into what I think are pyjamas but there so silky and good-looking they might be day-to-day clothes. Alfee jumps onto the bed and snuggles beside me. I go to sleep hugging him and trying to ignore the nausea and the emotions that resurfaced after seven years of neglect. The emotions brought by my sister's death in the 93rd Hunger Games.

"_Chicory, I love your eyes! There green like the trees, greener than emeralds!"_

"_Well yours are bluer than sapphires, Asterae." _

"_Let's sing the chicory field song."_

"_But Asterae, you're bleeding!"_

"_Keep Walking, Chicory."_

The train skids to a stop and I slide off the edge of the bed and fall off onto the cold floor, head first. Alfee whines, probably because I've woken him up so violently. The light coming from the window notifies me I've overslept a little. I look outside the train. The geographic change is startling: Beyond a glistening river overlapped by numerous bridges, lies the Capitol. Tall colourful buildings rise up higher than any tree I've ever seen. The train starts again.

I get dressed in what I think is not an entirely ridiculous attire, and am just finishing up washing my face, hands and teeth when Leefa comes knocking at my door, telling me everyone's waiting in the lobby for breakfast. I don't see why she says everybody; there's only her and Deanen waiting. If today's meal is as good as yesterday's I'm in for a treat. Just before opening the door, I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror. My brown-red hair is still the way my mother fixed it up for the reaping and my green eyes aren't as red as before.

I'm once again baffled by the food on the table. Bacon, sausages, eggs cooked in ten different ways, toast and a dozen kinds of jams, a platter of fruit and much more. I serve myself a bit of everything and take a glass of milk. I'm in no mood to be reminded of my sister because of chicory coffee. Leefa prattles on about how incredible the Capitol is and how much of a good time we'll have. But she shuts up when Deanen says "I highly doubt we'll have fun by killing people or being murdered" before leaving, claiming he's no longer hungry. I finish the few bites of food left in my plate, place two sausages and some bacon in a napkin and do the same.

When I enter the room, I feed Alfee who can already smell the meat. Then I notice what's been missing; the chicory-blue dress. I look everywhere but it's gone. I'm about to ask an avox boy where it is but I remember it's useless. So I go ask Leefa instead.

"It's been sent to the Capitol."

"Why?"

"If you should die in the arena, they shall dress you in the clothes you wore when you left your District. If you win, they'll simply give it back to you."

An image of my white sister wearing her white dress, in the simple wooden coffin pops into my head before I can attempt to block it out. I go back to my room before Leefa can criticize me for crying. But I'm also shaking violently and I hold on tight to Alfee's neck. He's my only source of comfort at the moment.

An hour later, we've arrived.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! (Props for Flabbergasted ;P) Please review.**


	4. Capitol Showers and Dreams

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. Sorry for spelling mistakes….:P**

We ride a _car_ to the Training center, where we'll be staying for the next week. While I gawk at the world passing by the side-window, Deanen looks straight ahead. I realize he hasn't talked much since the Reaping. I stop staring at the window and mimic him. Alfee is sitting between us, and looks a bit sick. He's never been in a moving vehicle. The train wasn't so bad because you can barely feel it move, aside from when it starts or stops. This car is bumpy, and now that I think of it, my breakfast might come up.

We finally arrive at the Training center, and as soon as we step out, a huge crowd swarms around us. They scare me, with their dyed hair and skin, their odd fashions and their surgically modified body parts, such as their enormous eyes. Fortunately, there are peacekeepers keeping them away from us.

Leefa hops in front of us and escorts us up the elevator to the twelfth floor, where we will eat and sleep. If the car was making Alfee sick, this elevator is much worse, for the both of us. Even Deanen looks queasy. I guess it reminds him of the one in the mines, back home. When the elevator 'bings' he practically jumps out of it. So does Alfee.

It's nearly lunchtime, so Leefa tells us we can do what we want knowing the meal will be ready soon. I got to my room. An avox girl is finishing up some cleaning and jumps a little when she sees me. She keeps her head bowed low and leaves with her duster. I glance around the room and notice a few things; there's a huge screen in the wall, a bathroom and a vase of flowers. Chicory flowers. Whoever put them there must think it's a big joke! I snatch them from the vase and throw them into the waste basket.

I head to the dining room and I can't seem to stop being momentarily stunned by all this luxury. Breads, soups and dishes of all kinds await me at the table. I serve myself generously and eat while half-listening to Leefa's attempt to start a conversation. It's only when she starts talking about the games and who are mentor might be that I really start to listen.

"Apparently, the victors who will be mentoring will be able to choose their tributes."

I dropped my spoon on the floor. No one noticed so I discreetly pick it up.

_Chicory, don't eat with your fingers! Use your fork and knife, like me."_

"_But it's more fun this way, Asterae."_

"_Do you want people to think you're an uncivilised brat from the Seam?"_

"_No."_

"_Then do what I say."_

It takes Deanen to say my name a few times before I come back to myself. I'm stiff, the spoon is still in my hand and my hand's got such a tight grip on it, it's white. I'm still under the table though so I sit back on my chair and stuff the rest of my food in my mouth and retreat to my room.

I turn on the television when Leefa suddenly comes a 'knocking at my door. She says there's an important televised message for the tributes. I turn it the screen on and sit on the bed with Alfee. The announcer, a young man with silver coated hair, presents himself as the Head Gamemaker; Mordecai Riggs. He gives a short speech about what a pleasure it is for the people of the Capitol to have us, the tributes, in their city.

"As you all must already be aware of, the third rule change of this year's edition of the Hunger Games compels the mentor of a district to counsel two tributes from a district that is not their own. They may choose the tributes that please them. Earlier this week, we invited them to a meeting where we specified all the rules to them and settled who got who. I am going to announce the mentor and then the tributes that will be under their care.

-Mentor Aden Hawkeye from District One, Wonder Desmir and Hunter Opum from District Two.

-Mentor Kayn Firdaws from District Two, Amber Quillem and Sam Ranger from District One.

-Mentor Elena Sprig from District Three, Sunna Mills and Frau Anse from District Four.

-Mentor Delphi Fae from District Four, Abbye Geiger and Tom Attler from District Seven."

So Delphi's a mentor now, I think.

"-Mentor Sol Currant from District Five, Kierra Downs and Lue Minser from District Three.

-Mentor Dawn Colls from District Six, Flaira Milton and Kayvon Gordon from Disrict Nine.

-Mentor Flint Rownsber from District Seven, Chicory Docks and Deanen Hacher from District Twelve.

-Mentor Tina Hason from District Eight, Kiim Cipha and Willace Chokecherry from District Eleven.

-Mentor Swallow Loon from District Nine, Upina Ilanoy and Gill Sangton from District Five.

-Mentor June Noblsemple from District Ten, Irena Flows and Flicher Green from District Six.

- Mentor Rob Keathlif from District Eleven, Hilga Tomson and Andre Colst from District Eight.

-Mentor Eenin Worn from District Twelve, Lina Slohan and Ignatius Dunces from District Ten."

Mordecai words cease to flow in his Capitol accent and I let everything sink in. I didn't really pay attention, caring only about who _my _mentor would be.

Flint Rownsber from District Seven. He won his games about ten years ago when the Gamemakers tried out a new type of Muttation. It didn't turn out well: the new Mutts started killing each other rather than concentrate on the tributes. They were part wolf, part lizard, the size of a bear. Their eyes glowed red in the dark of the night. To scare them, the Gamemakers said. After the Mutts had killed almost every tribute, Flint went after the rest. None of them were poor innocent twelve year olds, like Delphi Fae. Most of them were over sixteen years old. Not very tough though. A few just let him decapitate them with his axe. One, Mira Flenny was actually on her knees begging for it. Although that was probably because she was starving and in excruciating pain from a broken leg.

I turn off the television as Mordecai starts biding us a good evening, and I slip into the shower because my last one was the day of the Reaping. My hair is greasy and I'm starting to smell like sweat. I go in and it takes me a while to know what to do. Fortunately, an avox girl comes in, probably to do some cleaning. When she comes in the bathroom and sees me naked holding a plate filled with buttons, she quickly lowers her head and places the towels she was carrying on the counter, in front of the enormous mirror. I've never been timid with nakedness like my sister was. The only time she let herself be naked around my mother or me was when we were little and we take baths at the same time. The girl gives me a curt bow and walks away.

"Wait! I don't know how to use this."

She comes back, her head still lowered, and presses the first button she puts my hand in the warm water that slowly pour out of the ceiling. Then she slides her finger across the tablet and the water pour harder and harder. She does a circle on the plate and puts my hand in the water again. It goes from warm to ice cold. She shows me two buttons and motions to her head and rubs her underarm. Shampoo and soap. She hands me back the tablet, bows and leaves.

"Thank you."

She stops, turns, risking my eyes with her own, gives a little nod and leaves. I swear I saw her smiling.

I rub my scalp vigorously with the scented foam, scrub my body with the bubbly soap and rinse the stuff off in the warm water. At home warm baths are long to do because you have to boil the water yourself. As for soap or shampoo, it doesn't come in the Tessera so sometimes you just try to scrub the grime off of yourself with a rough brush. You don't smell any better but at least you're not dirty.

I get out and realize how long my hair is. It goes down all the way to my thighs. I weave it still wet into a singular braid down by back.

Wrapped in a soft towel, I walk into the bedroom, where Alfee sits, staring at me with his look. The one he uses when he's angry or impatient. Now it says something along the lines of 'what took you so long'. He's still a puppy; young, excited and impatient. I shouldn't have brought him into this. I should have left him at home, where he was safe.

I think he notices my distress because he jumps up and whines a little, tilting his head apprehensively. I go scratch his ear and he wags his tail.

"All is well Alfee."

For now. I put on some pyjamas and I go to bed, Alfee curled up next to me. He breathes in my face but I don't mind. I go to sleep immediately because I feel so drained by the flashback and the relaxing warm water from the shower.

_It's snowing. Autumn went by very quickly and winter came, with its bitter cold. _

"_Why don't you like winter, Chicory?" Asterae throws me a snowball. I catch and it turns into a blue bird._

"_Everything dies." I say, contemplating the bird's feathers._

"_Like me?" It flies away. I look up and see my sister and I scream. _

I bolt upright. I can't breathe and I try to make my lungs work again. As soon as they obey me, I take in huge gulps of air.

She's dead. All of the good died with her. Little, good Chicory died with her.

"_Keep walking, Chicory."_

Her voice says the two words in my head and I hear her sing me her song. It calms me and, just before falling in to sleep again, I realize it's me humming the song.

**I'll not be posting any chapters tomorrow, the 7****th**** of july 2012 because I shall be attending a wedding all day. I'll be back on Sunday, with another chapter. Please Review. :)**


	5. Don't Forget to Breathe

**I'm back! So here's chapter 5 everyone!**

* * *

A loud noise like someone dropping metal pots and pans yanks me away from sleep. Alfee's whining, something I'd probably be doing to, since we're both use to a minimal level of volume. I put on some clothes and wrench open the door and step into the hall. A tall, muscled man is marching from one end of the hall to the other, banging a wooden spoon on a casserole, making the loudest ruckus I've ever heard. I cover my ears and yell at him to stop, just as Deanen is coming out of his room. The man turns around and I immediately go silent. This man is our mentor.

"Well, now that the two of you are up let's get started." He flings the pot and spoon to the side and it lands with a final clatter on the floor.

In the living room, he tells us to stand still. He touches our faces, our muscles, makes us stretch and do a few small exercises like push-ups. Deanen is very big and I realize he's got a lot of hard muscles. I, on the other hand, am skinny and bony, but I am pretty strong. Guess the four years of hunting paid off.

When he's done groping us, he instructs us to sit down on the sofa. He takes a seat in front of us.

"Okay, we've got one week to get you two ready. Your interviews will be at the end of the week, and your chariot ride is later on today. You'll obey me and your stylists, and do whatever we tell you to do."

Deanen and I nod and he continues.

"Okay. Get yourselves prepped up. Breakfast will be ready any minute."

I'm a little angry at Flint for waking us so early. Alfee is too. I get ready and he comes along to the table. I sit in a chair at the table and he lies down on the floor by my side. I eat as much as I can and give a generous serving of meat to Alfee. I figure I'll need a good layer of fat if I want to survive the arena.

When I'm done, I let the avoxes clear the table while Flint talks about the chariot ride with Leefa. Then Flint takes Deanen away to see his stylist while Leefa brings me to mine. First though, I have the unpleasant surprise of my prep team. A short lump woman by the name of Quarca with crazy green hair, a young man called Lavish and a tall lady called Winnie. I like Winnie because she's the only one of the three who isn't covered in a layer of make-up or hair dyes.

They polish my nails, clean my hair and skin and rip off the hair from my legs, arms and underarms. It's so painful that by the end I'm whimpering. They then take tweezers and pluck out any other unwanted hair they might have missed. When they're finally done, they soak me in a bath of green water. It makes my sore skin itch and prickle but after a minute or so, it's very relieving. With soft towels they dry me off and leave me to my stylist who has yet to arrive. I wait in the quiet of the room, examining the round ovals that used to be my nails. When he comes in I almost jump and he smiles warmly at me. Like Winnie, he has a certain natural look, with his neatly cropped brown hair and his hazel eyes. He wears a simple outfit and the only real Capitol fashion characteristic on him is a few hints of yellow and black dye in his hair. It doesn't look as crazy as Leefa's yellow hair, even better: it looks good. He circles me and I freeze so I don't cross my arms. Fortunately, he doesn't touch me or anything. He just eats me up with his eyes, taking in every detail of my body.

"Hello Chicory. I am your stylist and you can call me Nano." After a pause where he examines my face he adds:

"You have very beautiful eyes. Like emeralds." He gives me a wink and opens his folder to take some notes.

"Where did you hear that?" I ask with a voice too alarmed than I'd like it to be.

"You're sister was a very talkative person. She rambled endlessly about your district your parents…but especially you." He says glancing at me from the folder.

This information both warms my heart and makes me want to cry. I end up looking a lot like Penny did when she came to say goodbye to me, after the reaping. Nano hands me a tissue and I gladly take to wipe my eyes.

"Do you remember what her interview costume was like?" he asks.

"She looked like a fire-bird."

"Precisely. I was thinking and I think I'd like to do a " phoenix-from-the-ashes" type of dress. What do you think?"

Without thinking I answer yes. He smiles radiantly and takes more notes in his folder.

"Well then, I know exactly what to do for your chariot costume. My partner Verna and I agree that the whole coalminer outfit is pretty has-been by now and the 'stark-naked-covered-in-black-powder' isn't creative enough. You just wait here for a while and I'll be right back with your outfit."

And with that he leaves and my worries arrive. What has he planned? Curiosity bites away in a corner of my mind.

After what seems like forever, he comes back, carrying something I don't get to see because he asks me to close my eyes. I feel the soft fabric on my skin and he tells me I can open them again. I see my reflection in the mirrored wall: it looks similar to the one my sister had, only instead of a burning ember, I'm a slowly reviving coal from a dying fire. How this dress reflects my life is stunning.

Nano gently handles my hair, braiding most of it but leaving a small amount free. He sprays water on this loose hair to help it curl naturally. He puts a minimal make-up touch to my face, just enough to bring out my features: my green eyes, my small mouth and high cheek bones. In my head piece, he's placed red, orange and black gems, feathers in matching colors. Just before bringing me to the chariots, he adds a small touch; he glues a few small blue feathers to my eyelashes. "Bluebird" he whispers. The blue makes the fire of my revived coal seem more realistic.

Deanen wears a similar outfit, without the blue eyelashes obviously. Nano puts us in our chariot and gives us a few last instructions.

"Try to look like a team, like you're proud of your district. Chin high, smiles and don't forget to breathe." His attempt to calm us is not unwelcomed.

He smiles and waves us goodbye as the black horses pull the chariot forward.

* * *

**Ending here…I'm falling asleep… -_- Please review! **


	6. The room of 12's female tributes

**Hello everyone! Here's the new chapter. I'm sorry the publishing is slowing. I'm not writing fast enough :) Please enjoy!**

* * *

The Capitol people cheer as loud as thunder. In reflex, I recoil into myself. Deanen must notice because he grabs a hold of my hand, maintaining me up and steady. I get used to the loud cries of 'District Twelve' and mine and Deanen's names, as well as the great thumping of my heart in the drums of my ears. Someone throws me a beautiful blue rose and I blow a kiss to the giver and start waving at the multi-coloured crowd. The ground is getting littered with flowers and confetti.

I catch glimpses of us on the giant screens. We are breath-taking.

The horses slow down and eventually stop in front of the president's palisade. President Morrow stands tall as he welcomes us with his speech. Would it be too much to ask for him to give the effort of writing a new one? I can practically say what he's_ going_ to say. I remember him having a kind face and not being a tyrannical leader. He's only been in power for ten years.

The chariots move again, pulling me out of my daze. Deanen's hand is still holding onto mine and I'm afraid I may have completely cut off its circulation. I look up at him to see if he wants me to let go but he just smiles and waves a few goodbyes.

I jump off the chariot and run to Nano and Verna who give us thumbs ups and cheers. I feel strange, like being lifted from the earth. It's scary but thrilling.

"How'd we do? How'd we do?" I ask ecstatically.

"You did well, both of you." Verna answers with a radiant smile. I think I see her eyes water up.

"Oh, you two just wait until you see your interview outfits!" Nano says dreamily.

Back in the prep room, Lavish, Quarca and Winnie peel me out of my costume and remove the make-up. They chit-chat about the day's events and shower me with congratulations. We take the elevator up to the twelfth floor, where Alfee is waiting impatiently. The avoxes serve us a luxurious diner with lots of potatoes, meats and breads. Just a few greens though.

After I'm stuffed they bring us a big cake with blue icing and flowers painted on. An avox girl serves me a piece but looks strange. I look down at the cake slice: flowers are daisies and chicories. I drop the cake and it lands with a splat on the floor. Before anyone can notice I go to my room. I enter it slowly, close the door and slump on the edge of my bed. My mind goes wild, my thoughts going where they please. The flowers in the vase. When I first arrived here there were chicory flowers in a vase. How the avox girl was so surprised when she saw me, naked.

I'm in the room every female tribute has been in for the past 100 years.

I'm in the room my sister was in.

I fall onto the bed clutching the covers, shaking. I'm suddenly hit with nausea and I run to the bathroom fast enough to empty my guts into the toilet. Every gag brings an encore of shivers and convulsions. I try to get up but my trembling legs only get me on all fours. So I crawl to the bed and pull the blanket off. I roll into it like bread roll and lie shaking on the ground. I vaguely hear someone knock at my door. I try to sleep, hoping it'll take away my panic. Far from it; it only brings nightmares and memories, so jumbled up together I can't make them apart.

My sister's death is replayed.

Little Chicory and Asterae play in the field as Asterae eyes bleed.

My father gets blown to bits in the mines.

My sister gets ripped to pieces by a bear.

Rory gives me a daisy.

The wolf-lizard mutts come after my sister.

We paint the walls in the classroom.

It goes on till morning. Pale rays of sunlight spill from the giant window. I'm tangled in the blanket which is wrapped around me like a snake. I wriggle free and get up slowly. I take small steps to the bathroom and turn on the water in the shower. I sit on the floor, under the water and wrap my arms around my knees. I get out when I'm all wrinkled and grab a towel and dry myself. I braid my hair and brush my teeth.

Alfee's starting to smell like wet dog so I coax him into the shower. Obediently, he lets me scrub him up with some shampoo and rinse it off. He resists the temptation of shaking himself dry, knowing it will make me angry. Instead, I wrap him in a towel. But after I go back to the dresser, I hear the water hit every inch of the bathroom and see Alfee trot out of it, dry as can be, wagging his tail.

Sighing, I grab shirt and pants at random. Literally. I cover my eyes with one hand and point to the clothes with the other. I end up with an orange shirt and a pair of black pants. I wait on the edge of the bed, for Leefa to come knocking. I stare at the mirror like surface of the television screen. I see myself, eyes red and baggy from lack of sleep, hair still dripping slightly. I fall to my side on the bed and contemplate my hands. My perfectly oval nails, painted in black for the costume.

Today my training starts. I know a little about edible plants, some I learned not to eat the hard way. I'm a decent shot with a bow but any other weapon is a stranger to me. I can make a fire alright and shelter…I might climb a tree or find a cave. Nate taught me how to make a snare. I never really mastered it but I get by okay.

One week. Seven days.

In that time I have to master everything I need to know to survive and fight.

Knock, knock, knock. Sure enough, Leefa has come to wake me.

Breakfast is delicious and though I don't feel like eating, I stuff myself with bread and meats. My skinny self could use the extra weight. I give Alfee his share and a question pops into my head.

"Leefa? Can I bring Alfee into training?"

She pauses from eating, still chewing a bite of fruit.

"I suppose it would be alright and a good opportunity to train him as well. Wouldn't you want to keep your weapon a secret from the other tributes?"

"I hadn't thought of it that way. I'll keep him secret." And I'll train him myself before going to sleep, I think to myself.

When Deanen is ready, Leefa takes us to the training gym, where we'll learn all we need to know.

How to find shelter and food.

How to kill but not how to cope with the aftermath.

* * *

**I'll get onto the next chapter right away. Please don't forget to review! I really love reading 'em. :)**


	7. Leaf bread

**Thank you for clicking on this story! :P I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Flint joins us at the elevator and starts giving us advice.

"Okay, listen up. During your training you should try to make alliances and get to know your enemies. If you've got any talents, I'd advise you to think twice before showing it off. You might want to keep it secret."

Just before the tributes from the eleventh floor walk in, he adds quickly: "And try to learn as much as you can."

The gym is probably the size of the Justice building or even bigger. Our steps echo and bounce off the walls. I'm next to Deanen and only a few feet away from the tributes who might end up killing me. I know I won't go down without a fight though; I've been through too much to give up now.

A nice lady, who presents herself as Lidia, informs us of the many stations, and what we'll be able to learn. She gives us the rule as well; No fighting each other. If we want practice there are people on standby we can spar with.

I look around to see if any of the stands catch my eye. There is an archery section. Normally, I'd go there first but I don't want the other tributes to know I'm a fair shot. Instead, I walk over to the knots and snares station. The instructor seems happy to have a student and he gladly teaches me the basics.

Back home, Nate must be angry he didn't take the time to teach me. We separated the jobs equally; I gathered edible plants and used my bow to shoot game, and he snared, hunted and fished.

I master a typical snare and a few nifty knots, so I thank the instructor and move on to a new station.

While I decide where I'll go next, I look around the room to see what I'm up against.

The future career tributes are easy enough to spot. They're all wielding menacing weapons with ease and turning the dummies into piles of rags and chopped wood.

Any other year, I'd expect them to stick to their weapons. However, since we get a week of training, maybe they'll have the common sense to learn about edible plants or how to make a shelter. Last year's Games turned out bad for them. A swarm of insects devoured all of their food and all that was left of their rampage was bits of backpacks and the weapons. That was the year where a very puny girl from district three won. _She_ knew how to find food and was hiding out in a tree.

By lunchtime, I've been to the edible plants station, as well as the fishing station. You don't really learn how to fish; it's more about how to make what you _need _to fish, like weaving a net or making a fishhook out of anyhting, and what fish aren't good to eat.

Speaking of what's good to eat, I'm famished.

In the cafeteria, some avoxes behind a counter serve us whatever we ask them. I take my tray and go sit in a corner. I wolf down my food and nearly choke when a pair of hands covers my eyes. I spin around, sending a basket of breads to the ground. The tall girl who'd surprised me takes a cautious step back and snickers.

"Calm down; I wasn't trying to break your neck or anything."

Without replying I turn around, deciding to ignore her. She, however, has other plans. Without asking, she takes a seat face to me and pick at the food in my plate.

"Stop it."

She does, but moves her picking to the basket of breads. She picks one in the shape of a leaf and nibbles on a corner. Her short coal-black hair drops to the base of her neck, dancing to her every movement. My tray is still half full, because I ordered a generous amount of food so I'm not goin' anywhere. After about a minute of her kicking my feet and me eating and kicking back, she talks again.

"So you're from twelve, huh? Must be awful there…" She tilts her head to see my reaction and since I'm placid as calm water she continues.

"You look familiar…_Oh_, aren't you that redhead's sister?"

I spew out the gulp of peach juice I was about to swallow. Unfortunately, she has good reflexes and cowers under the table. She grabs a few napkins and hands one to me, wipes the table with the others. I brush my sleeve on my mouth and continue to ignore her.

I handled bullies a few times when I was little; boys from the Seam, girls from the merchant part of town who thought themselves better than us low-life. I never let them go home without a bloody nose or a missing tooth though. My mother used to call my sister dove because she never caused trouble and had a heart as soft as a dove's duvet. She'd call me Tomcat in opposition. I admit I had pride in that nickname, but the town's people weren't too happy with their bloodied kids. So, my family apologized and I stopped putting up a resistance. Whenever they'd come lookin' for trouble, I'd pretend like they were never born. They left eventually.

The girl pauses, frowns slightly and her voice softens, to the point where it sound like the low purr of a kitten.

"You know, I admired her a lot when she was in the arena. How she helped those two from four, how she 'tamed' that career, Zev Tuckin, and her cleverness. She was one of a kind."

Her eyes, while she spoke never left mine, and only left when Lidia came to bring us back to the training gym. She got up and started walking to a garbage disposal.

For a split second, I felt a tornado of emotions; some sweet, some sour. And in the midst of the chaos in my chest, my uncontrolled mouth spoke in some odd, timid and uncertain tone.

"Do you want to eat lunch with me again tomorrow?"

The girl slowly turned, her hair flying like a long skirt, and smiled.

"Why not? It gets pretty lonely here and you're fun." And with that, she walks into the gym.

I don't know why I can't get my muscles to obey me, but a smile creeps onto my face before I can stop it.

I spot her later in the axe training station and know immediately that she's from Seven. No one can swing an axe like that after only an hour of training. I remember her eating the bread that looked like a leaf.

I see Deanen in the weapon area as well; he seems to be doing fine with his sword. Good for him, I think.

I head over to the medical station, and for the two hours, I learn how to stitch a wound, stop bleeding and cure a fever. I still have another hour left before it's time to go back to our apartments, so I mosey on down to the camouflage station. Turns out; I'm pretty good with some berry juice and mud and I use the weaving skills I mastered at the fishing station to make a cape of plants.

I always loved drawing, painting, all that stuff. I loved that classroom with the painted walls we made. I loved it when my sister watched me draw birds and flowers.

"_That cloud there should be white, Chicory, not blue."_

"_That's because it's not a cloud. It's a flower." I pout, looking at my flower in disaproovement._

"_Don't worry, I knew it was. I was just teasin' you." _

_She pulls me in a hug and pinch my stomach, retching laughters from my lungs. I smear some paint on her cheek and, with a gasp of disbelief, she smears my nose in return. We end up covered in paint and walk home fearfully, knowing mother isn't going to be pleased._

Next thing I know, I'm flung out of a flashback and back into the gym. I land in my body with a shudder and put down the pot of berry juice and the cape of weeds. To my luck, Lidia comes over and tells me it's time to go back to our apartments. I'm so glad I jump into her arms and kiss her on the cheek. She freezes but smiles uncomfortably and pats my shoulder lightly. I practically skip over to the elevator.

When we finally get to our floor, I eat a big meal and serve Alfee a big portion as well. Then I realize how exhausted I am. I excuse myself and got to my bedroom, intent for a good night's sleep. When I slip under the covers and pet Alfee I turn off the lights, submerging the whole room in pitch black. Alfee huddles closer next to me and snores softly. It doesn't bother me at all; it's becoming a lullaby of sorts. At least, it has the same effects as one. But Alfee's snores don't come close to my sister songs and her singing. As one pops into my head after the other, I drift into sleep, humming forgotten melodies.

* * *

**I'm going away for a while, so the next chapter will not be published before the 22****nd****. Please Review, I know you guys have the kindness in your hearts to do it! :P**


	8. Early Bird

**I'm back baby! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy! **

* * *

I wake up but keep my eyes closed, lying on my back. I vaguely hear a rasping on my door and assume it's Leefa, come to get me ready for breakfast.

"I'll be right there."

It doesn't stop so I sit up and say:

"Alright, alright! I'm up already." Alfee whines at me from the door, which is covered in scratches from his claws.

"Ugh, Alfee! What'd you do that for? We're not in twelve anymore. What are you so excited about?"

He sits, tail wagging, looking expectantly at me. Since I just stare back, he yips, and when that doesn't work, barks twice.

"Fine, just let me get dressed."

I throw on some garments and step out the door, Alfee on my heels.

In the dining room, only Flint seems to have gotten up. After a glance at the clock, I'm not surprised the others aren't up. It's a little past six.

"You're up awful early."

He looks up at me, holding a cup of coffee in his right hand, and smirks before replying.

"Look who's talking. Your hair's a mess and you got black eyes."

My hand goes to my head and Flint lets out a loud laugh. My cheeks heat up a bit so I fold my arms across my chest and hold my chin up high. He motions for me to sit and starts to pile food in my plate. Since I stay standing, he sighs and adds:

"You look fine. Now sit and eat; you'll need your strength today, in training."

I sit. And eat an enormous amount of food. I'm drinking the last of a glass of juice when Flint speaks again.

"So, have you thought about who you'll ally with?"

I swallow slowly letting the words seep into my head before speaking them.

"Yes, I have."

"Good."

And with that, he wipes his mouth on a napkin and leaves the table. I'm glad he doesn't ask more. I don't know how to tell him I want to ally with the girl tribute from _his _district. I gobble up what's left on my plate and get a large serving for Alfee as well.

Training only starts at ten o'clock, in about three hours so I go back to my room and decide to train Alfee a bit. I'm trying to teach him how to recognize if I'm injured or not, so he can defend me or even try to hide me in leaves and branches, when he puts an end to it by sitting down. Alfee's smart and he learns fast, but he also has a mind of his own. To him we're just playing, and if he doesn't like my game he just stops paying attention.

"Alright Alfee, that's enough for now. I'll see you after training."

I pass my fingers through his fur and walk out the door. Leefa and Deanen have woken up and are finishing up their breakfast. When I don't go to the table they look confused.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Asks Deanen.

"Got up early." Says Flint, sipping his coffee. The way he says this, suggests that I'm looking forward to today, getting ready as soon as I can. It's not true but it might make me look tougher than I really am. And it's not entirely false. So I nod and follow Leefa and Deanen to the elevator. My second day of training awaits me twelve levels below.

At the fire station, I've coaxed the dry grass and lichen into a small flame when a pair of hands covers my eyes. Only this time I'm not so surprized. The girl from seven crouches on the floor next to me and smiles. And when my stomach growls loudly, she says:

"Lookin' forward to lunch?" She says teasingly.

"Yeah, I'm starving. Do you still want to eat with me?"

"Course I do." I should be more aware about that smug look on her face.

Lidia rings the bell and we all head to the canteen. My tray is heavy from the food I've piled on it. Me and the girl chose a table in a corner, under a window. I like sitting in the corner 'cause I can see everything in front of me, by back to the wall. And the girl loves to see the sky, or so she tells me. I try to start some chitchat while we eat but she speaks first.

"We haven't been properly introduced, have we? Oh where _are_ my manners!" she says with mock-drama. "I'm Abbye Geiger, from seven. And I now you're from twelve. What's your name?"

"It's Chicory. Chicory Docks."

"Well Chicory Docks," she says, grabbing my hand and giving it a good shake, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

We both laugh and I dig into my onion soup. We talk until the bell rings again and Lidia comes to get us all. I get up to give my tray to an avoxe. Before I can get to one though, my tray is flying to my face, the plate and utensils falling on my sides. I bend to pick it all up, wondering what's just happened when I hear a deep voice speak.

"Oops! Sorry."

It's one of the careers, the boy from one I think. He doesn't sorry at all. Actually, he seems amused. A fire starts in my chest and it takes everything I've got, and Abbye holding my arm, not to wipe that smirk of his face.

Remember, I say to myself, no fighting with each other.

I take a deep breath, keep my chin high and give my platter to an avoxe who's rushed over to clean up the broken plate and bowl. Then I walk strait past the boy, but not before giving him a good shove to the shoulder. Abbye follows me closely and even spits an insult or two at the boy. When we get to another station she picked at random, she talks to me calmly.

"Are you alright? That was so uncalled for. Let's go to the hand-to-hand combat station to beat out the heat, okay?"

"That sounds good. I swear I could punch him right now!"

While I hack off a dummy's head, Abbye swings her sword up and down. When she sees me staring at her, she says "Like chopping wood. It's comforting." I lower my sword and think for a long moment. Then, I speak.

"I want you as an ally." Abbye's sword stops abruptly, and she turns to me with a big, smug smile.

"I thought you'd never ask." She juts out her right hand and shakes my hand. "Allies," She adds.

Soon enough, it's time to go back to our quarters. I stand next to Deanen in the elevator. He's still his silent self, but he courteously salutes me with a basic 'hello'. To which, I reply 'hello'. And that's all the conversation we'll get this evening.

Tonight, after supper, a televised announcement from the President encourages us and cheers on for us, wishing the odds be in our favour.

My hair is dirty and I stink. I walk under the flowing hot water, and it rinses off all my impurities. I go to bed feeling cleansed and Alfee snuggles into my shoulder. I stroke his soft fur, his beautiful gray and red fur, and go to sleep wondering how anything can be so soft.

_The wind blows cold and mercilessly. I feel as hollow as an empty pot. Mother and father are out trying to trade for food and get some extra work for some money. I lie on the floor, in a blanket, near the small fire, hoping for some warmth. The back door swings open, letting a gust of snowy wind into the room. My sister walks in, carrying a dead rabbit. _

"_Where d'you get that?,"I ask her in disbelief. _

"_Never you mind, Chic" She goes into the kitchen, skins the rabbit, cuts it up and makes a small pot of stew or soup. She brings me a bowl and I eat slowly. My parents have countless times warned me of eating too quickly after being this hungry. When I'm done, I lay my head on my sister's lap and wait expectantly. She sings and I rest in peace, hearing her songbird voice. _

_The door swings open again, but it looks wrong, like it shouldn't be opening. My sister screams and pleads. Delphi falls to the ground, bloody and torn. Tym burns alive and Zev stabs himself until his arm can't rise the knife anymore. I turn away from the gore, turn to my sister. _

"_Asterae, why? Why?" She stands holding a bloody knife holding Mother's and Nate's heads by the hair. She wears Alfee's pelt as a coat and smiles cruelly before spilling my guts onto the floor. _

A sharp pain runs on my arm until I wake up struggling with myself and breathing like a mad-man. My arm is bleeding, but not much, from the marks Alfee's teeth have left on my arm. He looks at me with his worried eyes. He woke me up. I hug him so tightly, but he doesn't protest. I find sleep again, somehow, with Alfee licking my wound.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! I'm sorry for the delay, I've been struggling to get up (it's sooooo Hot!) :P Next chapter soon!**


	9. Spotlight

I'm so nervous I want to run. My private session is in only a hour and I'm still not sure what I'll do. I try to breathe slowly and keep calm. Alfee keeps nudging me with his wet nose, I get so annoyed, I shove him to the door. He probably sees this as more training so he snarls at me…

Alfee!

"Good boy! Good boy! Oh you brilliant dog you!" I say hugging him, for he is my solution.

* * *

They are about to call my name. I've been waiting, sitting against the wall. I've arranged for Leefa to send Alfee to the room where my private session is. I don't try to hide my smile; I'm gonna mess with the game makers.

Before entering, the Showergirl (I've named her that) presents Alfee to me and smiles as she shakes my hand. They're sitting, some yawning, some coughing but all rise when I command Alfee to bark. Oh, if they only knew what was going to happen in the next few minutes.

First, just to play around, I ask Alfee to give me his paw, which I shake, barely covering my face so they don't see the huge grin on my face. Then as quickly as I can, I snatch a bow and a quiver from the display of weaponry. I then whistle a very high pitched and strong note and Alfee immediately snarls and gets ready to pounce at my signal. I shoot, hitting the dummy square in the heart, and not a moment later, Alfee's ripping off its head.

I then pretend to faint or get hit by something. As we trained, Alfee cushions my fall and stands above me guarding against any possible enemies. In the fever of the moment, being drunk with pride, I point to the game maker's table, where a feast has been laid out. Surprised they rush out of the way, tumbling on each other in their rush. Alfee snatches a roasted duck, trots over to me and places it at my feet. I take a big bite out of the leg and smile gleefully at the game maker's faces, which range from hilarious to outright ridiculous. I take a bow and leave, Alfee trotting on my heels.

* * *

When Leefa, Flint, Nano, Verna, Deanen and I are huddled around the huge wall-it's actually a huge screen- Mordecai Riggs announces our scores. I'm nervous because I'm not sure if I was allowed to take their duck. I hope it won't be shamefully low...

Abbye got a 9! Maybe I'll ask her later how she got it...

Deanen got a 10! I congratulate him and he says; "I didn't do much...Wonder where they found that 10." No wonder he got a ten! He practically dripping with good looks!

Everyone hushes as Mordecai continues, "...Chicory Docks, from District 12. With a score of..." Pause? why'd he pause? It's a 1 isn't it? Oh, I knew I shouldn't have taken that duck!

"Twelve."

"WHAAAAAT?" I yell. Nano shakes my hand and Flint gives me a wink. Leefa is squealing, jumping up and down, and shaking out her hands like a crazy person.

"Congratulation, Chicory," says Deanen.

* * *

I've had enough sleep to function properly, but you can't deny the dark circles under my eyes. Sean Flanagan, the interviewer, won't either. Nor will the audience for that matter.

In the last four days of training, until today, I've stuck to edible plants. I noticed a few years ago, that that station is usually a clue to what the arena will be like. But I haven't figured out what it'll be since the plants seemed to range from very different habitats and uses.

Abbye and I have devised small tactics and strategy ideas. We're going to try and grab some supplies at the Cornucopia and bolt for cover. I'm quick, but she runs faster and longer which is why I'll be watching her back while she grabs whatever she can. I told her about my secret weapon; Alfee. She seemed fascinated about him. And it was soon added to our plans; I'd try to teach Alfee how to grab a supply, like a backpack, so he'd help Abbye. I've already trained him to attack when I tell him to, but he can sense when someone isn't trustworthy. I don't know how but he just…knows.

I sit on the edge of the bed. Since the 93rd games, I've been on the edge, always nearly falling off. My eyes focus on the wall ahead of me while my arms hang to my sides. I just sit there not really hearing or seeing or feeling anything. I realise how immensely terrified I am to move, thinking if I do, I'll drop dead. The interview is tonight. Nano hasn't really told me about his plans for my outfit, but his eyes shimmered with excitement whenever the subject came up.

In my daze I don't notice the showergirl, who showed me how the shower worked, knock and come in. She's brought a set of respectable clothes and very gently pulls me to my feet. While I put them on, she tidies up the room and the bathroom, gathering towels and worn clothing. Fully dressed, I sit back down. The girl sits beside me and takes my hand in hers, and gives a small squeeze. I look up at her and see her smile, which I return with my own, though it is a weak one. Then she gets up and leads me out the door.

I walk to the dining room and she goes to her post. Deanen looks a little shaky as well, which is a small relief. Leefa tells me to come with her to train me for the interview and Flint will take Deanen, and we'll switch in four hours.

I think Leefa, beneath the 'sweet' rabbit demeanour, might be a cold hearted hag. She straps me up in painful heels that arc my feet and tells to walk around the room. Walk? It's a miracle I can barely wobble two steps and tip over! And yet, she insists I 'carry on, carry on!' until my feet, never mind my legs, feel like rocks. When, at long last, I manage to make it from one end of the room to the other, she allows me to sit and remove the torture devices on my feet.

"Now, what do you think is the point of appearance?," she asks.

"To get sponsors," I answer confidently.

"Precisely. Now, do _every single thing_ I tell you, and you'll be fine."

She has me talk with a big smile, with my back straight. It hurts to constrict my muscles in such a way; Leefa says I slouch too much. My cheeks are on fire. But I bear with it because I know she knows what she's doing. She trained my sister, for this same interview, who did really well. I'm simply not able to smile, genuinely enough, which Leefa points out to me soon enough.

"Try thinking of something happy, dear, a memory or a thing that makes you smile or laugh. Find _something_," she says. "For example, I smile every time I see a new dress at my favourite tailor's shop. Or when I get my hair styled,"

I'm astonished by Leefa's choice of 'happy thoughts'. None the less, I try thinking back to the days when my sister was still singing and making crowns of flowers to make me a princess.

It feels warm, thinking of her and those years. But extremely painful all at once. My eyes prickle so I think about Nate. His kind helping hand that taught me to shoot, to trap and hunt prey. The same one that helped me survive. Then the thought I might never see him again hits me and my left cheek feels wet. I quickly wipe my face with my sleeve hoping Leefa hasn't seen. Thankfully, she's been admiring her nails. They're painted a deep dark shade of green, like leaves.

The forest. The one place I felt joy after Asterae died: where I could be free.

As I finish answering a question about what I think of the Capitol so far, I notice she is looking straight at me, and continues staring long after I'm done talking. I wave my hand in front of her eyes and she jumps on her seat.

"Oh, were you finished dear? Please excuse me. That was lovely, whatever you were thinking of or _who_ever, you should keep it, she or he in mind during your interview,"

"Right. I'll keep that in mind," An odd and annoying sound ticks suddenly. While I have no clue what it is, Leefa jumps up from the sofa and starts rushing me out of the room.

"Quick! Quick! It's time for your training with Flint! How could I have not seen the time go by so quickly?"

"_I_ don't know. Maybe you were simply enjoying making my feet bleed,"

"Don't be silly," she snaps at me, her pink nose twitches once, reinforcing my initial impression of a rabbit. "Walk straight!" I jump into position, momentarily terrified by this new, dark, _angry_ Leefa. If I didn't know better, I'd've sworn she had smoke coming out of her nostrils.

When Deanen is close, I shake his hand formally and curtsy (something I learned with Leefa).

"Don't let her _near_ your feet," I say as he walks away with Leefa and he shoots me a confused look that makes me laugh.

"Well, you seem to be enjoying this," Flint says matter-of-factly. I give him a mock-frown and he tells me to sit on the sofa. He asks me a couple of simple questions, like my favourite color and such.

"Usually, for the interviews, the tribute choses how he or she wants the capitol to see them. For example, you could want to seem merciless and determined or sweet and innocent. When a tribute is blessed with good looks, sponsors tend to tilt their money to help them," with this he takes a good look at me, from head to toe, pausing ever so slightly at my chest. Out of self-consciousness, I cross my arms, fully aware I can't pull off the 'sexy' act. As if reading my thoughts, he adds, "While you lack a certain…bountifulness, you do have a pretty face and a good complexity. At first glance, you seem shy and silent, but there's a glint of fire in your eyes."

"I don't think I can act sweet or nice, Flint. I want to seem confident and smart, like I know something more than they do. Like this whole thing is a piece of cake to me."

"Well then, when Sean asks you question, use a soft tone of voice but speak loud and clear, as if you're taking to a group of friends. Keep a big smile on and don't be scared to show humour," "that is, if you have any," he adds sarcastically.

"Trust me; I can be very humorous,"

"And feisty."

"You've no idea."

* * *

My prep team do a few touch ups but nothing serious. Nano walks in holding what I think is my dress. He's practically squeaking every word out, he's so excited about it. I close my eyes and let him slip it over my head, feeling the silky fabric it's made of. I open them slowly, taking in the sight of myself in the mirror. It's a simple orange color that shines like gold and shifts to red and yellow depending on how the light touches it. Even faint hints of blue appear and vanish from time to time. It falls below my knees, and if I sway, left to right, it looks like a chiming bell. My arms are bare, and a single strap on my left shoulder holds the dress. No feathers though.

"What do you think," Nano says with a smile and a glint of pride in his eyes.

"Nano. It's…beautiful. Beyond words," I say eyeing what he holds in his hands.

"I thought it could be your symbol," he says, giving me my district tokens.

"Be my symbol?," I ask.

"Fire. Untamed, strong and fearless. Just like your sister before you."

I'm touched. Nano has made me this dress as a memento of my sister.

He then does my hair, pulling a third of it to the back of my head in a braid -weaving bright blue feathers in it- making sure the curls are absolutely perfect. He makes it shine by spraying some kind of glitter on it. He barely puts any makeup on me. 'So the sponsors remember me better in the arena', he said. The black shoes he's given me have horrifying heels. I can already feel the sore on my feet burn and ache. I slip into them, careful not to lose my balance. They hurt but they aren't as high as I'd feared so I think I'll manage it.

I glance at the mirror to see my reflection.

My jaw drops.

"Nano! How did you _do_ this to me?" I look as gentle as a blue-bird and as fierce as a lion. My hair looks like a mane…or maybe he intended it to look like wings or feathers…

"Go get 'em, firebird," he says and pushes me softly to the door.

The wait for my turn is so unbearable. My hands are clammy, practically dripping wet. Why does it feel like someone's put and entire buzzing beehive in my belly?

Surprisingly though, it's my turn before I can calm down. Abbye did great in her interview. She looked like a whimsy, weak and clumsy girl, which she emphasized by tripping into Sean Flanagan's arms. Why didn't I think of that?

I hear Sean Flanagan announce me, yelling and cheering my name. I take a deep breath and smile as widely as I can. The lights are blinding and once the audience comes into view I wave and blow kisses to the crowed. Sean takes hold of my hand and kisses it and then lets me sit down. Is it possible for a heart to beat so fast?

"Heeellooo, Chicory. How are you feeling tonight?" he asks, eyelids glimmering with pink glitter.

"Very well, thank you. And you?"

"Splendid. My, such fine manners you have! Your mother must be proud. Tell me Chicory, how do you like the Capitol so far?"

What- Besides the constant waste of food and water? The fact I'm going to kill or be killed tomorrow?

"It's lovely, enormous really. Is it normal all those buttons for the showers?" I add comically.

The crowd joins Sean in an orchestra of laughter. They seem to overreact and exaggerate everything, don't they?

"I'm curious, and I think the rest of you are too," he turns to say to the crowd, "how does it feel to stand in your sister's footsteps?"

Ouch.

"It's strange." That's it; a short, quick answer. Please, please change the subject!

But no. he holds my hand and adds.

"If memory serves me correctly, I believe she spoke of you a lot during her interview, am I right?" he asks the crowd, which nods in approval.

"She did?" I ask fervently, then cursing myself for letting my coolness slip.

"I believe you used to carry around a stuffed bunny called…Mopsy was it?"

I smile, recalling my childhood friend.

"Flopsy, actually. My mother had made the ears much too long."

He chuckles. "I recall your sister was here, only seven years ago, am I right?"

Ouch. Oh Sean, why even ask me that?

"Yes, she was."

"I was impressed by her."

"Oh?"

"Well, she lasted quite a while, for a district twelve tribute."

Oh. I flare up with rage. Is he insulting my dead sister?

"She did. She could have beaten all of them if she hadn't tried to save Thym and Delphi and Zev."

"Yes. She must've been a very caring sister."

"She was."I snap at him.

"I'm sure she'd be very proud of you if she saw you now."

I'm about to answer but the buzzer cuts me off.

"Well, that's all the time we have for you, Chicory. Good luck, and may your sister watch over you," he says as he kisses my hand.

"Thank you." I say as I curtsy as correctly as I can. I hate the feeling of his lips on my skin.

"Chicory Docks, everyone!" He yells as I wave to the crowd and leave.

Breath in. Breath out. Tomorrow, you might die.

* * *

**That's it for now! Sorry for the long wait-School's been mobbed. SOOOO much Homework! Damn you math teachers!**


	10. The Storm is Coming

Sorry guys, for the wait. What's this? 605 views and only 10 reviews? We'll have to fix that somehow…Anyways, here's the new chapter! ;) Rae=Asterae's abbreviation…DUH.

* * *

_I feel so calm. The sun is going down and the air smells good. I nibble on my liquorice and stare at Rae. She's making me a crown! She hums my song for me. I close my eyes and listen intently. I hear her scream and I scream too. I feel her shake and twitch, I do too. She's wet with something warm and gooey. I can't open my eyes, they're so heavy._

"_Asterae!"_

"_You are going to have to walk home, Chicory."_

_I hear a howl, a wolf. I feel the chill of the moonlight and the fear of the night. Wake up._

I slide off the edge of my bed, my head hitting the floor with a sickening thud.

"Ouch!" I curse and wrap my arms around my head, rocking gently.

Alfee whines and I sit up on my knees and let him lick my face. Calm down Chicory, it's just a bad dream.

I stretch as far as I can and sigh in relief. Then I'm hit by reality; I'm entering the arena today. My heart sinks to my feet and I go cold. I breathe rapidly, then, trying to calm down, take deep soothing breaths. In, out.

I slide one foot off the bed and touch the floor. It's cold and I shiver. I slide my other foot and get up slowly. I'm not exactly in the mood for hurrying up, especially with what awaits me outside my door. The Shower girl walks out of my bathroom carrying towels and smiles lightly at me. For a moment, I feel like she wants me to know something but she simply puts down her load and closes the door behind her.

* * *

In the dining area, I stuff myself until my belly is round and I don't want to get up anymore. I give Alfee as much as he wants, too. Deanen looks better for worse, what with his hair being so messy from sleep, his eyes half open, and…slightly pink? Oh no. He can't have cried, he's…older. Stronger. I guess he has reason to, considering he has a wife and baby back home, whom he might not see again. But me, what do I have back home? A broken mother, two good friends, the bits and pieces of my shattered childhood and the memories of my very dead sister and father, starvation, cold. Dying might actually sound kinda good right now.

I shake my head. No. I shouldn't think like that.

"Come along now dearies! Flint and I will escort you to the Hovercraft that will bring you to the Launch Room," Leefa exclaims excitedly. As usual.

She hops out of the room to go get something I think, all the while speaking to herself about how adorable our arena clothes might be. They'll probably get dyed red after the Bloodbath anyway so why make a fuss?

Flint turns to us before with exit the apartment.

"Listen up; when the signal goes off, run like hell. Grab stuff if you can but RUN. You hear me? Run. Try to get on higher grounds and find a reliable source of water," he spills all this out at the last minute, though he's told us before, repeatedly. It's like he thinks we forgot to study for a test and he's spewing all the answers in a jumble. Still I'm grateful; it means he cares, even if not much. It also means he'll try to keep us alive in the arena.

"I know this sounds cheesy, but I know you can make it. Good luck to the both of you," he finishes.

Deanen and I nod solemnly. Maybe Flint wasn't the bad guy I'd made him out to be.

"Leefa," I whisper as we approach the elevator, "How are we getting Alfee to the Launch Room?"

"Don't you fret dearie. All has been planned. Alfee will be traveling in the same Hovercraft as your prep team, Nano, Flint and I will be traveling in. I'll personally make sure he gets to you for the launching." She smiles widely. "I can't wait to see how everyone will react!"

I relax. Alfee will be with me.

In the elevator, I avoid the other tributes eyes. They seem to glare at me but I can't tell for sure. Anyway, they don't talk to me so I don't talk to them.

I briefly see Abbye, down in the lobby, before Leefa hurries me along to the runway area. She looks queasy and nervous, just like I am. I wave at her and she waves back, with a small smile. I mouth 'meet you later' and she gives me a thumbs up.

The seats of the Hovercraft have many belts to keep me in place during the ride. We are seated in our district's order. Abbye looks a little green. I don't think she's getting used to the transportation in the Capitol. A woman gently grabs my arm. I see she's holding some kind of gun and my heart goes faster.

"What is that?" I swallow.

"Your Tracker." She says emotionlessly and sticks the gun in the inside of my forearm. It shoots a tracker right under my skin; it stings and I feel a bulge.

Oh. Obviously.

* * *

My prep team braids my hair for me, tucking every strand of hair tightly and neatly. It looks a little funny, because it's a braid made of three smaller braids. Odd but efficient since it makes my hair much shorter than it is. They send me to Nano, whose been examining my uniform- to deduce as much as he can about the arena, and hug me in turn.

Nano holds up the clothes to me. An undershirt and underpants made of a thin material, a dark shirt and dark trousers, a jacket, woollen socks and leather boots that lace up to my knees. Alfee jumps at me. He's probably been anxious during the entire ride here. I absentmindedly stroke his fur.

"It reflects body heat, though they usually always do. You've got a waterproof jacket and good boots for running, that's as much as I can say," he says, almost apologetically. I look at him straight in the eyes.

"Thank you, Nano." He smiles meekly at me and he turns away as his eyes go shinny with tears.

"I know you'll be great out there, and as kind as your sister. I hope I see you again, Chicory." He sniffs as a female monotone voice rings in the room.

"Attention all tributes. Please enter the Launchers."

I swallow and enter without looking back. Before the glass window slides close, I whisper;

"Bye Nano. Thanks for the pretty dresses."

Like the elevator, the Launcher slowly lifts me and Alfee up. It's pouring above ground and I can hear the distant grumbling of a storm. I look up to a dark- almost black- sky. I close my eyes and I can smell the sweet air. Trees, wet ground, rain. It calms me. I'm afraid of thunder and I hope I don't get one of my panic attacks while running to safety. My eyes try to see everything at the same time, so much that my head registers it all in a jumble; a few backpacks lay in the wet grass. We, the tributes, are placed in a semi-circle, with the Cornucopia in the middle. I see some of their stares. I see all the weapons; knives, swords, spears, maces and…A bow! My bow. I see thick trees, old and huge. I see blue mountains on the horizon. I hear rapids, I think. But it could just be the rain pouring. Alfee squirms but I hold him tightly in place on the pod. If he steps off before the countdown is over, the mines buried in the ground will detonate and blow up.

60…

59…

58…

57…

My heart pounds as thunder roars with chilling might. I bite my lip so I don't scream.

51…

A flash of blue light splits the shadowy sky. A lightning bolt.

44…

43…

42…

Abbye looks at me and nods. I nod back. As soon as we hear 0, she'll bolts for supplies and I'll cover for her. I hope we get the bow. I'm reminded of Nate, his last words to me before they took me to the train. _If you can, try to get your hands on a bow. Find water and shelter but really try to get a bow because you know how to use it._ I hope I see you again Nate.

26…

More thunder, more lightning. The rain pours over me. Luckily, my waterproof jacket keep me very dry.

15…

14…

13…

Thunder roars suddenly in my ears. No, not thunder. A tribute, the boy from District nine, I think. He's slipped off his pod. Chunks of earth and flesh fly in the air. Something lands near my own pod. I glance at it and gag. It's the boy's hand still clutching his District's token, a pin shaped like flower, no, a sun. I look away so I don't vomit. My own tokens hang on my body, my sister's necklace and my earring. Alfee howls loud and long.

5…

4…

I shift my feet, getting into position to run.

3…

2…

1…

This is it.

0…

I leap off my pod. The air chills my wet skin. I run as fast as I can towards Abbye. I grab a pack while running and sling one strap over my shoulder. Abbye's at the Cornucopia. I'm just a few feet away. Nobody seems to be trying to stop us, probably because they're in shock about the explosion or just surprised about Alfee. Abbye has a backpack and is stuffing a sheet of plastic with knives and a small hatchet as well as the food in arm's reach. I grab the bow.

"Let's go!" I say as loud as I dare above the roaring sky. We turn to the woods and bolt as fast as our legs can carry us. Alfee leads the way. "Follow Alfee!" I yell. Another roar of thunder stops me in my tracks. It's so close. I've got splashes of mud on my trousers. I hear Penny's father yell.

_"Stay in that filth where you belong!"_

"Chicory!" Abbye yells.

I stare at the lightning bolt, though it only last for a split second, that falls on a tribute running into the woods, to Abbye's right. The tribute is on the ground, still but spasms run through her body. I smell singed hair…and flesh.

"Chicory!" There's a sharp pain in my hand. I snap out of it; Alfee's biting my right hand. He barks at me and I jolt back into running. I hear something fly near my left ear and swing me head to the right. A feathered dart sticks out of the muddy earth. I take my chances and glance over my shoulder. The girl from District 2 glares at me in frustration loading a tube with another dart.

I keep running, zigzagging slightly in case she tries to fire at me again.

We're in the woods, east of the Cornucopia. Abbye stops abruptly in front of me and I bump into her.

"What?"

I look down and see a river. It must be at least twenty feet long, and very deep. The currant is far too strong for us to cross it. I look around for a bridge of sorts and notice a fallen tree. I point it out to Abbye and we go to it as quickly as we can. Alfee goes first, treading carefully and hops onto the other side of the river. The tree looks sturdy enough but it creeks a little under my feet. As I make it to the other side I see a boy, the one from 7 I think, charging through the brush. He maybe fifty feet away at most.

"Come on, Abbye!"

While she moves as fast as she can without slipping and falling to her death he's getting closer. I see a glint near his hand; he's wielding an axe. My right hand, which has stopped bleeding, is gripping my bow. I quickly fumble to get an arrow from my quiver and string it. I breathe in deeply and think of it as if I'm back in the woods with Nate and we've spotted a deer.

I pull back the arrow. Aim. And Let Go.

* * *

PLEASE be GENEROUS and GOOD-HEARTED. I HUMBLY ask for a REVIEW. :) Please? Just putting it out there…maybe I'll not post the next chapter until I get, say….5 reviews on this one chapter. Come on it's EASY. Just type 'Good, Okay or Bad' and clic-aty-clic that post button! It's all I want. Really. DEAL? :P


	11. I am a Hunter

I pull the arrow back, aim and let go. My drifts off for a moment, and I'm taken back to a dreadful winter, back in district twelve.

* * *

Nate and me were hunting in the woods, around the time where I first met him. It was a very cold winter, the snow piled high in the streets, against the houses. We hadn't gotten anything in a few days. I couldn't see straight, I was so hungry and cold. I was scared my toes and fingers would fall off from the frostbite. Frost_bite_. Very accurate.

The cold bit into us with every gust of snow-filled wind. Nate said we should find some shelter. He found us a crevice between two big rocks. I bit my lip to keep my teeth from chattering. He notice and started to take off his coat. I refused it. If I was freezing with my own coat, then he would surely die without his. He moved in closer to me and wrapped me in his arms, my body against his, and closed his coat around us. It had been his father's and was still a little too big for him, but since I was so small back then, it was a snug fit.

We stayed there the whole night. I managed to sleep a little, drifting for dull awareness to deep slumber. In the morning, the sun was beaming with such intensity that the air was warm and wet with melting snow. We got up and started to walk home.

About a mile from the fence, I heard a noise at my left and got my bow out. There, a few feet away from us, stood a beautiful deer. I strung my bow as quietly as I could and pulled an arrow out. I slowly aimed and shot. I wasn't as good a shooter back then as I am now, and my arrow hit its shoulder. He nearly fell and leaped forward. We chased it as far as we could, until it finally fell to the ground. It kept kicking and making odd animal noises. I felt so…ashamed. One minute, it was alive and beautiful and the next it was lying on the ground, the snow turning red. I suddenly wanted to take it home and try to save it. But Nate pulled out his knife and finished it off. Then he was talking about all we could do with it; sell it to the butcher, trade it for coal and necessities or eat it. My stomach grumbled and I was suddenly so very hungry. We had trouble carrying it home, but we made it eventually. Hannah finally got a full meal thanks to Nate.

* * *

I'm reminded of this memory when my arrow narrowly misses the boy from nine's heart, and burrows itself in his arm. He screams in pain and stumbled to the muddy ground.

Abbye finally reaches me and we go back to running. The wet plants whip me hard and the rain stings my eyes like a million bees. Alfee is ahead of us, leading the way.

As we grow tired, our pace slows and I find myself forcing my feet forward. Abbye trips and splays out on the ground, breathing hard. I grab her arm and try to pull her to her feet. My throat and lungs hurt for the cold air; I feel like someone's kicked me in the gut.

"Come on, Abbye! You've got to get up." I urge her.

"I can't." I know she can't. She can barely catch her breath. I look around frantically, searching for some kind of shelter. Alfee barks and I whip my head around. He's standing near a fallen tree, probably the storm's doing. Its roots must have been embedded deep in the earth because there was a deep hole in their place. Alfee has a keen eye; the long root hung over the ditch in such a way, it is like a roof. The tree blocks the wind and rain from us on three sides, and the ground near it is surprisingly dry. I hull Abbye into the ditch, leaning her back against the tree's underside. Tall plants that had probably already been there hide us even more from the outside. Alfee sits sternly next to Abbye, allowing her to lean on him while he keeps watch. I'm so lucky to have him.

I'm afraid someone might notice us from the side that doesn't have a wall of roots, so I undertake making one with branches and plants. I lean the sticks onto the 'roof' and place them in tight rows. I then cover them with plants that have big leaves like ferns. When I'm satisfied with my job, I step into our natural shelter. I'm thankful to myself for going to that station during training.

As I try to relax a little, my thoughts jumble together. What if the ditch fills with water? What if I haven't hidden us well enough? What if Abbye or me get sick? _What if that boy I shot is still alive?_

I gasp. The boy, I didn't hear a canon. And if there was one, it was probably lost in the thunder that still persists and roars like an angry lion. ,wait,wait WAIT! Everything's so fast, everything was so fast. What even happened? What if my head blocked it all out something? I remember letting the arrow fly, thinking, at the time, only of our safety, of Abbye. I did it out of self-defense.

I keep that thought preciously. Abbye sneezes; I snap back to life.

"Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?" I touch her forehead clumsily.

"No, I'm fine just…tired," she pauses, "Thank you"

"No problem."

She fiddles with her sleeves and shivers. Maybe we have a blanket or something in our backpacks. My curiosity gets the better of me.

I open my bag and Abbye follows suit in a moment. Mine has wire, an empty bottle, a looking-glass, a thin but waterproof sleeping bag, a roll of rope, a small bag of raisins and nuts and some fever pills. Abbye also has a sleeping bag, an empty bottle, as well as a vial of iodine, a pair of wool gloves, an odd pair of sunglasses and some dried pork jerky- Plus the plastic sheet and six knives, a hatchet and, as Alfee seems to have noticed a ham. I worry it might attract wild animals so I decide we should eat it now. I use one of the knives to cut it into three portions. I hand Abbye hers and she takes a big bite and hums in satisfaction. Alfee devours his in a matter of seconds. I chew slowly and force it all down. Surprisingly, we manage to eat the whole thing and, by then, start to relax somewhat.

The downpour continues, and the cold settles in. Our hair is wet, as well as our trousers and socks. We're both shivering. I'm feeling light-headed and I start coughing.

"Chicory, you okay?" Abbye asks. She looks worried.

"I'm fine, why?"

"You look terrible. No offense," she adds, "but your cough sounds pretty bad." She presses her hand to my forehead. "You're burning up, Chic."

"_You shouldn't have gone outside in this weather Chicory!" _

"_I wanted to meet you after school." _

"_You're sick! Mom told you to stay in bed!"_

_I cough until I gag. Sissy pats my back gently. She might be angry but she's mostly worried. I try to breathe. It hurts._

"_You're burning up, Chic." _

"_Sissy…it..hurts" My cheeks are wet and Rae tears up._

"_I know, bluebird. I'm sorry." _

"_Rae?...Am I… gonna…die?"_

"_No, Chic, no. You're going to be just fine. I promise." She smiles, wipes my hair from my face and tucks it behind my ears. "I'm going to go get you something, 'kay bluebird? I'll be right back."_

"_Okay" I say slowly. My head hurts, my tummy hurts, my throat hurts. _

_Mommy makes me take small sips of warm water when Rae comes back._

"_Look what I made you Chicory," she's holding a pretty necklace out to me. "Please get well soon"_

"Chicory, you hear me?" Everything is blurry.

"Yeah." My voice is raspy, dry and cracked.

"You've been out of it for about an hour or two. You've got a fever and quite a cough."

"Since when are you the expert?" The line is barely audible. It hurts to speak.

"Since my district gets hard winters and very cold rain in autumn. My mom used to take care of sick people, on occasion. Home remedies."

I can hear the rain tapping on the root roof. A sudden crash of thunder echoes through the woods. I whimper and curl up into a ball. I'm warm. I open my eyes. I'm in the sleeping bag with Abbye. We're slim so we both fit snuggly. The second sleeping bag is unzipped and spread over us and Alfee, who is cuddled into my side. I cough more, my throat dry as sand.

"Water." A few moments later, Abbye tilting one of our bottles into my mouth, letting me take small sips.

"Thanks for building us shelter, Chic." She says.

"Thanks for not slitting my throat while I was out." We smile.

"You're well enough to make jokes, I see. I think you'll be fine in the morning."

"Is it night time?"

"No, though it sure looks like it. The games started about at noon so it's probably around supper time." On cue my belly growls.

"But you must already know that, huh?" She laughs. She hands me a scoop of nuts. I pop them into my mouth one at a time.

"Have they made the announcements yet?" I ask, my voice clearer.

"Yeah. Apparently not a lot of people died in the bloodbath this time. I guess it's the first year they decide to put the tributes into the arena in the middle of a storm. Six dead, in total. The girl from five, the girl from six, the boy from eight, the girl and the boy from nine and the boy from eleven." She says grimly.

"Only six? That's a first." I reply.

"I think there's gonna be a lot of firsts this year," she says pensively.

It's very dark but a skinny moon shines in the sky. The rain has stopped. And a deep silence has crept into the woods. I find myself holding my breath. Then, life purges the silence. The birds, the wind in the trees and all animals from deer to tiny critters; it all washes over my fear and, for a moment, I'm back in my woods. I hear a bird play a tune, and its friends join in and play it back and forth like a game. Mockingjays! Oh what luck! I've only ever seen them on occasion. Rae loved to sing with them. A child's rhyme of hers comes drifting back to me, awakening the little girl deep in the corner of my heart.

The lines are simple enough and the melody is always the same for each verse. To a mockingjay, this would be the perfect new toy. I want to feel like I felt when Rae was still here, singing to me. And I'm sure it would cheer both me and Abbye, who's been biting her nails. So, I take a deep breath, clear my throat and sing;

_Let's dance all through the night_

_There's no more bread for us_

_The Neighbours will feast tonight_

_And leave nothing for us_

_Let's dance all through the night_

_There's no more wine for us_

_The Neighbours are drunk tonight_

_While we make no such fuss_

_Let's dance all through the night_

_There's no more coal to burn_

_The Neighbours are warm tonight_

_That warmth for which we yearn_

_Let's dance all through the night_

_There is laughter in our home_

_The Neighbours weep tonight_

_We never cry alone_

Breathe. My hand clutches Rae's necklace to me. As I'd hoped for, a mockingjay starts to replay my song. A few others join in, and then the whole forest is filled with the simple notes. Abbye gasps and looks everywhere to find them, wherever they are, and laughs.

" 'Chicory, Queen of the Mockingjays'!" She bows over dramatically and we both laugh.

"Did you write that song?" she asks.

"No. My sister did."

"You mean…Asterae?"

"Yes," My voice is steady, unusual since I normally choke up at this subject. "We used to make them up when I was little."

Abbye smiles. "My mother used to sing to me when I was hungry or scared of the dark."

"Ah, so we have that in common." I smile at her.

* * *

We agree to take turns keeping watch, with Alfee sleeping with one eye open. I wish I could do that right now. I take the first shift and Abbye snuggles into Alfee who doesn't protest. The humidity makes the air heavy and oppressing but no very cold. It is summer so I guess that's normal, but I've seen the previous years' games; the temperatures were not to be trusted. The day would be boiling hot and the nights freezing cold. I guess they've lost interest in killing us off naturally. They probably want an action packed game this year, to liven things up in the capitol.

A branch cracks, and I whip my head around. It's dark but I can just make out a small figure creeping in the foliage. I hold my breath though I'm not frightened. We have the upper hand; whoever this is, they don't have shelter. Unless they're a Career but then they'd be in a pack.

I don't think the tribute has noticed us so I relax a little. As one minute replaces the previous, the tribute's clumsily loud footsteps fade. Memories drift past me and I envision every one of them, to pass the time until I'll allow myself some sleep and wake Abbye up. She snores.

Dark thoughts float in my head. I could just kill her here and now. Take her pack and leave. It would be as simple as that.

I slap both my hands to my face. Keep it together, Chicory. Abbye stirs and wakes up. She sits up on her elbows and looks around the ditch with half-closed eyes.

"Hey, you're doin' overtime. Not fair. Go t'sleep. I'll watch," she slurs.

I lay my head on Alfee while Abbye shifts and makes herself comfortable. I go to sleep as soon as I close my eyes.

* * *

I'm woken by the morning chilly breeze. The tip of my nose is ice-cold and my limbs feel stiff from sleeping in a ball. The sun is shining through the clouded blue sky and Abbye is peeling bark off branches. Willow bark, she explains. It helps fight a fever. I ask her if she found any mint.

"No, not real mint. But I did find some wintergreen; it grows a lot back home. My mom usually makes tea with it. I always found it tasted minty and it has similar effects," she answers.

I chew a couple. She's right, they do taste like mint. I stand up, stretch and set about putting the sleeping bags back into the packs. I grab my bow and my quiver. I also put a knife on my belt.

"I'm going hunting. D'you want to come with?" I ask her.

"Nah. I'll keep watch on the camp. I think I'll try to find that river again. Or another source of water."

"Okay. I'll explore the area, see if there are any other tributes. I'll be back before dusk," I pause to think. Abbye is much leaner than me and her skinny arms barely have any muscles on them. She probably wouldn't last long in a fight, no matter how quick she is. "Alfee'll stay here with you,"

"Alright. Be safe," she says.

"I will."

And I'm off.

* * *

The ground is dry. I wish there was some mud; it's much easier to track animals with mud since it holds their tracks. It rained most of the night so why is the ground dry? Probably some crazy gamemaker's trick. After a good ten minute walk, I decide to set up some snares. Maybe I'll be lucky. I feel a little vulnerable without Alfee. The cool breeze smells like the woods. Rae loved the smell of the forest. And the wind. Her first song to me was about the wind, how it carried our mother's calls when we were outside and supper was ready. I start humming the simple and sweet melody. And then the words come out as well.

_The wind blows, blows so slow. _

_The wind blows our mother's call. _

_The wind blows, blows so slow. _

_The wind blows us all back home._

_The pond is where the ducks go swim._

_One white, one black with a green rim._

_The Hunter's looking for some prey_

_His silver bow, shines just like grey_

_The wind blows-_

"Well what have we got here; a little lost songbird? _Prey_," a voice jeers from above me and I jump backwards to my left and look up.

My back hits something soft. Someone's chest. A boy but more a man than that, jumps off the branch of a tall tree. Someone behind me, whoever I bumped into, grabs my arms and holds them behind my back. I struggle to free myself and his grip tightens, twisting my arm uncomfortably. The young man struts casually up to me, dangerously dangling a very sharp and painfully curved dagger. His dark copper hair is a mess, his grey eyes blazing. With the tip of the blade, he forces my chin upward, so I'm staring directly at his face.

"So this is famous Asterae Docks' sister. I expected less," he sneers. His tone isn't the bratty insulting one of a bully my age but one of teasing, like Nate would talk to me when he makes fun of my long hair. But this boy's voice is deep and clear. I shake, tremble like a leaf. He doesn't notice or at least, pretend he doesn't. He pulls the knife away and takes my bow and quiver and tosses them to the side. He's going to kill me, isn't he? Well, he sure can _try_; I'm no weakling.

"Are you so pathetic, you need some guy to hold me back while you beat me up?" I spit at him. His face is impassive for a moment besides the corners of his mouth that tip up slightly. He nods to the boy behind me and my arms are loose. I think of running but quickly dismiss it. They are tall, bulky and could probably outrun me after just a couple of yards. My best chances are to try and outsmart them. I look at his dagger, recalling my own knife.

"What, you need a dagger too? Afraid of some little girl?" I say mockingly. If I hurt his pride he won't act with his head. He'll use his fists like every man with hurt pride does. He pulls out his knife and tosses it a few feet away. I prepare myself, like I learned in hand to hand combat at the training center. I let him make the first move, a punch to my face. I duck and thrust my fist to hit him in the stomach. It's so hard my hand hurts. I shake it off as he grins down at me. He's so infuriating. I try punching him in the throat but he grabs my fist and twists my arm so I'm whirled around, facing away from him. He pushes painfully on my arm and I'm forced to my knees.

"Is that all you've got?" he laughs. He grabs my braided hair, his elbow keeping my left arm painfully contorted, and tugs firmly so I look up at him; in my point of view, he's upside down. I don't think and act with absolutely no hesitation. With my free hand I pull out the knife from my belt, and, in a flash, slice off my braid. I'm instantly freed and I get up and kick him in the gut. Nate taught me this after a girl from the Seam was found dead and abused in an alley. 'Remember,' he said, 'us boys have one very, _very_ sensitive part. So as long as you aim there and run, we won't catch up.' Thanks Nate. I wonder if he's watching me right now, if he's proud of me.

As Nathan had predicted, the boy doubles over his hands on his privates. I relish the look of utter surprise on his face. The other boy looks stunned as well, and I take the opportunity to kick him there as well. With both of my attackers writhing on the ground, I flee. I pick up my bow and quiver in a hurry and fumble while trying to sling both over my shoulder.

I run as fast as I can for almost a mile before dropping to my knees, out of breath and fatigued. I look around me for any other 'predators' and get up. My legs are shaking terribly and all I can think of is of finding Abbye and curling back into that warm sleeping bag, with Alfee guarding me. I don't want to lead anyone to our precious shelter so while I walk back, I make a funny 'S' path. I come across one of my snares and know I'm close. When I reach the second one, I'm rewarded with some kind of odd bird, no bigger than a chicken. I reset the snare with shaky hands and continue my journey. Abbye is sitting in the shelter playing with Alfee, asking him for his paw and shaking it. She gapes at me.

"So when you say you're going hunting…is that code for 'getting a haircut'?" she asks.

"No. I… ran into some Careers," I say very quietly. She drops her smile immediately and gets up. She grabs hold of my face, my arms, looking intently and patting to see if I'm hurt.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" she pries worriedly.

"Not really, I kicked them where it hurts before they could do any heavy damage," I reply, grinning slightly. I'm actually proud that. Abbye smirks.

"Did one of them puke? Sometimes they do," she says gleefully.

"I don't think so. I hope so," I say, grinning more broadly.

"Oh! Oh! What kind of look did they have on their faces?" she claps her hands excitedly. "Did they look like this?" and she does a stunned but hilarious face.

"Yeah, you've got it just right!" I laugh.

As I recall the whole thing to her, I prepare the bird. With her still listening carefully, I stick it on a spit fashioned of a branch. I'd rather not risk a fire but I'm not too keen on eating raw meat; Nate said it can make you sick and that he learned it the hard way. So I build one anyway and hope for the best. I keep it small and contained. When the coals get hot enough, I place the bird over the heat and listen to both the sizzling of the meat juice on the fire and the rumbling of my stomach.

Nobody died today. The anthem of Panem plays but no faces flash in the sky.

Finally it's ready and I give half to Abbye. I devour mine, leaving some meat on the bones that I give to Alfee and Abbye does the same. When we're all somewhat satisfied, I cover up the hot embers with dirt and stomp on them for good measure. The sun is just beginning to go down. I let Abbye arrange my hair and even it out. My head feels so light, like a weight's been lifted from my shoulders. The bottles are finely polished and I use one to see how I look now. It's so bizarre. Abbye is proud of her handy work; what was earlier a mess of brown hair is now a decent, pretty even, cut. My hair now falls a little past my shoulders in its usual waves. I hadn't cut my hair since my sister's death, which is why it was so long. I don't miss it but I feel the loss.

That night, I go to sleep humming the Wind song, with one hand tangling its fingers into my new hair.

* * *

**HEY GUYS! I felt generous and I did get 3 REVIEWS (though I did ask for 5 :( ) so I've decided to update sooner! Also, Thank you gmkoberg for Reviewing and following every chapter so far. Thanks a bunch! Here's a word to a friend and -I THINK SHE'LL KNOW HOW I'M TALKING ABOUT- Is this long enough for yah? LOL….:P**


	12. Shades of the night

"So…what should we do now?" Abbye asks as she hands me a piece of jerky.

"Hmmm…" I chew thoughtfully on my dried pork.

"Wait it out? I guess we should get more food," I say finally. _Or go hunting._

"I get the feeling that if we stay here, they'll sic their mutts on us. Or worse," she says.

I nod. I feel uneasy, like I'm cooped up in a tight space. Alfee's calm but his tail twitches at any sudden sound. My hair still bothers me, grabbing my attention whenever it flies into my face. It's so strange and frankly annoying. Abbye kindly attempts to braid it, tying it off with a small length of her boot's lace.

It rained again last night but the ground was dry by sunrise. The birds continue their normal routine and a woodpecker drills a nest into a tree nearby.

"I think, we should leave and move forward," I say.

"You mean keep walking?" she asks carefully.

"Yes, exactly that," She takes her time and thinks.

"Alright. But if we run into any more Careers, you'd better hope your hair's grown out." She elbows me playfully in the ribs. I laugh. Her sense of humour is priceless

We pack all our belongings and decide, at the last minute to set our shelter on fire; to use as a decoy and so that other tributes won't be able to use it. I feel a little sad and homesick as I look, at my hard work burn, over my shoulder. We walk stealthily our light steps making no noise.

The air is hot and suffocating, no wonder we haven't seen a single animal yet. The mockingjays are still singing in their trees, though. She stops and looks at me.

"You know, you shared a lot with me," she says.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, the songs of your sister's, for example,"

"Oh, right,"

"Maybe tonight I'll sing you my mom's song," she says.

"I'd love that."

She winks at me and I dash in front of her. We race for a while, Alfee skipping ahead of the both of us. I laugh and Abbye giggles.

After what feels like forever, we find a small pond. It's not very deep but the water is clear and cool. We fill up our bottles and put the correct amount of iodine drops in the water. While we wait, we eat some nuts Abbye found and talk about our plans. Abbye thinks we should find shelter, like our fallen tree, but I feel we should be moving further, to higher ground. I'm not sure why but I get this odd feeling like the ground isn't safe.

A movement on the water catches my attention. I hold up my hand, interrupting Abbye mid-sentence. Ducks. I position my bow and pull out an arrow; the ducks haven't noticed us yet. I shoot one, pulling out another arrow in a flash and shooting a second. I bring my right thumb and forefinger to my lips and whistle. Alfee immediately springs to his feet and jumps into the water to go retrieve my kill.

Later, while we're eating the delicious birds, I recall Alfee bringing me a roasted duck in my private session with the gamemakers.

"So," Abbye says with her mouth full-clearly she doesn't care for manners- "How'd you get that good at archery?" She sucks on her fingers one by one.

"A friend of mine back home taught me," I answer. I bite into a leg.

"Oh? A boy?" she's winking at me.

"Yeah, but he's much older than me," I say in my defense.

"Oh _please_. When has age ever mattered in love," It's not a question. Her eyes are clearly sending a message: 'I dare you to prove me wrong.'

"It's not just the age difference. He's like…the brother I never had…and father,"

"Father?" she looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Not my r_eal_ father. It's just, the first time I met him was not long after my father died,"

"Oh. Sorry," she rubs my shoulder as to comfort me. "So, what's his name?"

"Nathan Goldthread, but I call him Nate,"

"I had a friend like that back home. Kevin. He's the first boy who ever spoke to me. I wish he could see me now," she looks up to the sky.

"He can, can't he? I mean, the games are televised…," Abbye looks at me with sad eyes despite the small tight smile on her lips.

"Yes they are. But Kevin died three years ago,"

"Oh, I'm so sorry Abbye," I almost punch her when I fling my arm to rub her shoulder sympathetically.

"It's okay," she says. "I think, if he was still alive, I'd've married him," she speaks dreamily,like he never even died.

"You know," she tells me, "in my district, we don't think people really die. It might seem like their gone forever but they never really leave. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I guess,"

"Good."

We hear a canon then a second. There go two more tributes.

"What did you bring, you know, as a weapon?" I ask her, mainly to distract myself. "An axe?"

"Hey, just because I'm from district seven and our job is lumber, that doesn't mean I carry an axe with me twenty-four/seven. That is such a stereotype," she says.

"Sorry,"

"As a matter of fact I didn't bring an axe, I brought this," she says, taking out something tucked beneath her shirt. A whistle.

"My brother found it deep in the ground, when they pulled out an entire tree," she adds.

"What does it do?" I ask. She brings it to her lips and blows. I don't hear anything at all but Alfee jumps to his feet and barks. Abbye stops.

"So…only dogs can hear it?" I ask.

"Pretty much, yeah. I was hoping if I ever got in a fix, I could blow it and some animals would show up. Probably not such a smart idea now that I think of it," she adds.

"That's not a bad strategy,"

"Whatever," she tugs the whistle of from around her neck and puts it in my hand. "I think it's of better use to you than it is to me. Take it," she says.

"No, this is yours. I couldn't…" she cuts me off.

"Take it." She closes my fingers around the whistle.

"Alright."

In late afternoon, the temperature in the arena escalates viciously. I'm a sweaty mess. Alfee doggy paddles in the pond and I feel so jealous of him.

Nate found a lake once and showed it to me. His dad had taught him how to swim and Nate passed the knowledge onto me.

I'm itching to just jump into the cool water and let myself float. Finally, when I can bare it any longer, I strip off my shirt and trousers, leaving me in my under clothes. Abbye gasps and calls after me as I laugh and launch myself into the pond.

"Ahhh!" The water feels so good. I float on my back and move around the surface using my arms. I can hear Abbye laughing. Not a moment later I hear her over clothes rustle to the ground and she's jumping into the pond, splashing me with a giant wave. I counter with a splash of my own and she does the same.

In the end she wins, and sits down in the shallow water. I swim a few laps around the pond and enjoy the sun and wildlife's music. I hum the Wind song.

"You were humming that song last night, weren't you?" Abbye asks.

"Yeah, the first my sister ever sang to me. She called it the 'wind song'," I say.

"It sounds nice." She says closing her eyes.

I get out of the water and lay down in the grass to dry. Abbye does so as well. She looks younger than me but her face is mature. I look down at my chest. Abbye notices and I blush. She just smirks at me, smugly. I see a necklace dangling on her own chest. I look carefully; it's a small wooden disc. There's a tree carved onto it, with intricate branches and roots intertwining with each other. Abbye catches me staring and explains.

"My father's a wood carver. Best in town too." She says, prideful. "It's the tree of life, the tree that holds the world in its branches." She adds pointing to the beautiful carving. I don't really understand what she's telling me but I just smile and compliment her district token. She stares at my chest a moment then at her own underdeveloped one. She sighs.

"Oh, what I'd give to have a bosom like yours, Chic." She says wistfully.

"Hey, I'm sure they'll pop out soon enough. What are you, like, fifteen?"

Her face darkens and she scowls, her brow knitting together.

"I'm nineteen," she says dryly.

"WHAT?! You look so much younger!"

"I know. Maybe if I had breasts you'd've thought I was older," she spits.

"Sorry…" I stifle a giggle, but it morphs into laughter and I burst, rolling on the ground, arms clutching my belly.

"That's right; laugh at the poor Boob-less girl," she says but she's smiling. Her comment only makes me laugh harder, tears welling at the corners of my eyes.

Later, when we're dry and dressed, we start to set up camp. We decide to sleep in the trees tonight, since the ground offers no cover. We find a particularly big willow tree and climb up. The sun has set and there is little light left. We strap ourselves to our branch and wait for sleep to come. Alfee stays below us, sleeping with one eye open.

The Anthem plays and two faces flash in the night sky; the boy from district one and the boy from district four.

Two tributes less. Only seventeen to go.

"Hey, I think you promised me a song," I say to Abbye.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, tomorrow. M'too tired. Sleep now, singing later."

I smile and go to sleep.

* * *

I wake up with a start. I nearly fall off my perch! Abbye's already awake, playing with Alfee. I climb down stiffly, my limbs aching from my sleeping position, and join Abbye. We eat pork jerky for breakfast. We chug down our water bottles and go refill them.

At the pond, I get the feeling the ground beneath me moves slightly, but I blame it on a sun-stroke.

We set off. The air is as hot as yesterday and I'm exhausted very quickly.

By what we think is noon, we've emptied our bottles and eaten all the raisins and nuts. We've got to find water or we'll both deteriorate rapidly. I keep licking my lips. Our pace grows slower and soon we have to stop and rest.

"Look!" Abbye says excitedly.

She's pointing at a berry bush. Oh they look so good and all I want to do is suck the juices out of the fruit. She dashes to the bush and strips it of its berries. They look like blueberries, my favourite. I feel a tingling in the back of my head but I ignore it; Alfee is eating some and those berries look _so_ delicious! Abbye chews a handful, the juices spilling out of the corners of her mouth.

"Hmmm! Their so sweet!" she says closing her eyes with pleasure and eating more. I pop several in my mouth and chew. Hmm. She's right, they are delicious. I look at her. She's purple. I laugh; worms have started coming out of her hair.

"Abbye, youvgot wormzin your hiair…" Why am I slurring?

"Shicowy, you cwy 'nyour sleep," she manages to say. "Yougotta ssstop thinkinabout dahpast."

She staggers forward and the world spins. We're both on the ground, her lying down and me sitting. Alfee barks at me. Abbye starts petting the grass.

"Alfee, your furrr izzo soft…" She starts breathing hard, and holds her throat. She makes choking noises but breathes easily. She can't speak. Her face is flushed and she's shaking, her body twitching.

"Abbeee…watsrong?" My lips are like jelly. My mouth is so dry and I can't see right. Abbye's mouth is frothing, like a rabid animal. She stops moving, her eyes wide, pupils dilating furiously, looking straight at me. She still twitches.

"Abbeee?"

I crawl up next to her. My legs won't move. I collapse next no her, my arm resting over her. I move my hand to her neck. She sweating like crazy and her heart is racing. Her breathing is a jagged wheezing. My head hurts so bad, and the side of my neck is itchy. Trying to soothe my throbbing head, I lie down on the grass and close my eyes. I feel Abbye's heart slow. Alfee nudges me with his nose. When I don't move, he lies down next to me and whines.

I think I go delirious. I hear a big boom echo in the silent air. I lie still. A few moments later, I feel strong gusts of wind splash around us. I muster all my strength and flop onto my back. My vision is blurry but I can see the Hovercraft above us.

"Look Abbyeee, they're takinuss home…" I say.

I see a claw go down and grab Abbye. Her eyes are wide. It pulls her up. She looks like she's flying! Her limbs dangle in the wind, her black hair everywhere. I close my eyes and wait for the claw to lift me up as well. Only it doesn't come. My skin feels like it's on fire.

Nausea hits me and I turn to my side and empty the contents of my stomach until I'm left gaging bile. I turn away from my mess and curl into a ball. I'm shivering. Alfee whines. The last thing I think of before drifting away is that I won't be able to hear Abbye sing tonight. She's going home. Good for her.

* * *

It's cold, but my chest is warm. My arm is around Alfee, who's cuddled into me. My head hurts really bad. My throat is so dry and I'm so thirsty. I open my eyes but everything is foggy. I try moving; no success. I close my eyes and sleep.

I can't remember waking up, but when it's finally morning, my limbs obey resentfully. Alfee helps me sit up, letting grab on tightly to his fur. Every movement is a struggle and has me breathing hard. I look around, searching for Abbye. She's gone._ She's dead._

The realisation hits me hard and sucks the air from my lungs. No, she can't be dead. She didn't deserve to die! I should have died in her place!

I wail and cry, though not much comes out of my eyes. My body shakes with every sob. I'm so lost, I don't know what to do anymore.

_Keep walking…_

I stumble forward, tripping on roots and stones, Alfee guiding me. I don't know for how long I walk but, eventually, I reach the river we crossed after the bloodbath. The water level has dropped considerably and what's left of the river- so about four feet of width- is surrounded by mud. As I totter forward, I notice there are animal prints in the mud too but none near the water. I take one step forward and yelp as my body sinks into the mud, knee deep. I try to take a step back but I sink in deeper as I scream.

I try to grab at my surrounding; plants, branches, anything, but it's no use. The fallen tree is just above me. Panicked, I start to flail my arms and I kick with my legs but it only makes it worse. I'm now waist deep.

"Stop! Don't Move!" A deep voice yells. I can hear Alfee barking.

I freeze in the mud. Someone runs onto the bridge, until that person is directly above me. Grey eyes meet mine.

"Grab my hands!"

I fling my arms upward and hold on to his hands with all my might. He struggles to pull me out and finally manages to drag me to the grassy earth- the other side of the fallen tree- where I collapse, exhausted. My legs and most of my torso are caked with mud. A soft warm hand brushes the hair out of my face and rubs off my tears. My head still hurts, and it's resting on someone's lap. _His _lap. I cry softly.

"Hey, shhh. It's okay, it's all right now," His voice is so soft and sweet. As if he's talking to a wounded animal. I calm down slowly. After a while, he takes out his water bottle and makes me take small sips. I can barely keep myself from draining the entire bottle in one gulp. The water feels good on my dry tongue and throat. With my head and part of my shoulders on his lap, I replenish my lungs and breathe deeply. It's soothing. Again, when he speaks, his voice is soft as a cat's purr.

"You ate berries? Bad ones; what did they look like?" he asks me.

"Yeah…uh…dark purple, almost black. Looked like blueberries. Real sweet," I rasp.

"So nightshade berries. You're lucky you're alive. Most people, especially at your age, die from eating a handful,"

"I ate…about…a dozen…or so…I think," I breathe.

"Yep, that'll do it. You've probably been delusional for a while now," he stops to pull on my eyelids and stare at my eyes. "Your pupils are wickedly dilated too. Don't worry, you'll start to feel better in a few days," he finishes. He strokes my hair gently.

"Why not…have just let me die?" I ask.

"Your too precious to be dead." He says.

I'm exhausted. I let myself be hulled up onto his back and carried away. I think he's finding us shelter. The landscape seems to be going up and great boulders stand strong, stubborn trees growing inside and atop them. More particularly, when two boulders are collided, they provide a roof. He's found those two boulders and the roof. I still, by some chance, have my backpack and he takes out my sleeping bag and spreads it out on the ground. This alcove is safe from the wind and rain; why didn't Abbye and me just come here? I'm leaning against the inside wall, my shirt, trousers and boots covered in mud. For a moment I think the boy is blushing but it might just be because of the effort. He looks at me uncomfortably.

"Can you undress yourself?" he asks.

"What? Not in _front_ of _you_," I say indignantly.

"Obviously. I'm turning around. Can you do it by yourself?" he asks.

"No, suddenly my arms don't work anymore," I say. He looks at me, terrified. "Of course I can do it by myself, stupid!"

With his back to me, I quickly slip out of my mud caked clothes, keeping my under garments on. I slid into the sleeping bag.

"You can turn around now," I say. He does and offers me some more water. I drink and lay back. I look towards the entrance, to the sky. The sun is setting. The entrance must be facing west because the golden rays of light come pouring into the small cave-like crevice we're in. I'm surprised because we both fit inside; it's…snug.

In a moment of weakness, I allow myself to lean on him. I stare at anything in particular; a bug, a plant, a root, a rock, a dent, anything. My curiosity eventually rears its unwelcome head.

"What's your name?" I ask softly.

"It's…Hunter," he smirks.

"What?"

"It's ironic, no?" he says, looking down at me quizzically. I nod.

"Yeah, well, thanks Hunter." I say, averting his gaze. His grey eyes remind me those of most of twelve's inhabitants. Then out of where, I couldn't say, a question brushes past my lips.

"How old are you?" I blush; Rae used to lecture me about asking people's age. Said it was rude.

"Nineteen in winter. You?" He asks with absolutely no shame.

"Fifteen since February," I reply with as much dignity as I can muster.

"Boyfriend?" he asks as if he's just said something about the weather.

"No. Girlfriend?" I say, daring his gaze with my own.

"Nope." He's smiling. He's making fun of me! Oh, how foolish I must look. And the Capitol! They've got it all on tape!

I swear under my breath and move as far as I can away from him. I turn my back to him and pretend to sleep.

"Chicory," a shiver runs through me. His voice, my name; the perfect combination.

"Yes," I say with a hiss.

"I'm sorry about your hair," he says.

"I'm sorry about your groin," I reply, turning over to face him. He's grinning again. "Thank you for earlier though," I add. I pause. _Why_ did you do it? "Why'd you do it?" I ask.

"That song you were singing, you know, when I jumped you. It was beautiful," he says.

'Thank you," I pause. "What happened to your friend?"

"He's dead. We ran into the guy from four . He must've been at least twenty, that guy. He had a trident and we had knives and a sword. In the end, Sam got speared and the guy from four, well…"

"Yeah. He died too. Saw it last night, or the one before that," I finish for him.

"More have died since that announcement," he says.

"Oh? Who?"

"The boy from three and both from ten," His voice is grim and honourable.

"So…" I count on my fingers.

"Only thirteen left." Hunter interjects.

* * *

_Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews and the use of your eyes! I'll try too update soon...(-3-) Also, to **ANYONE WHO IS READING THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME OR HASN'T YET BEEN TOLD: THIS IS A SEQUEL!**_**  
**


	13. Give 'em a Show

I wake up to the soft light of dawn. I can see the sky through the trees; it's a mishmash of pastel hues. My head is on something soft and warm. Probably Alfee and his fur. I close my eyes and relax. I look up and jump, falling over slightly. There's a boy. I was sleeping on a boy. He wakes up and I see his deep grey eyes. Oh, that's right. It's just Hunter.

"Good morning," he says and stretches.

I don't say anything. He gets up and walks out of the den. I follow suit, rubbing my eyes. He turns around and looks at me, the blood draining from his face. Avoiding my eyes, he strips off his jacket and hands it to me. I stare down at it and them to myself. I give a small gasp and scramble to cover myself; I'm in my under clothes. I quickly zip up the jacket and pull it down as far as I can. Fortunately, Hunter is much bigger than I am so the jacket covers most of my thighs.

"Let's have some breakfast. I'm sure you're hungry," he says quickly, looking away. So like Rae, timid and shy about nakedness. Then again my reaction just now was the opposite of unshy.

We eat what we both have in our backpacks. Dried jerky for me and trail mix for him. I'm feeling uneasy, like something is hidden, something important.

"Hey, you…you didn't really answer my question," I say fiddling with the ends of my sleeves.

"What?" he looks puzzled.

"Why you saved me from the quicksand, why you haven't killed me," I look up into his eyes. They're like a maze.

"Simple enough. You put up a good fight against two careers, including me, and managed to beat the both of us. You obviously can survive; you can hunt and make a shelter. I tried to learn back in our training but it made me jumpy. I think we should ally," he says.

"How you feelin'?" he asks.

"I'm okay. My head hurts a little and my throat too," I reply.

"It's normal. It should all go away in a few days," he says.

"So, I'm guessing you a least spent some time in the edible plants station?" I say.

"Only a little. I was actually surprised you didn't know about NightShade berries. They're less fatal as NightLock berries, of course, but can be deadly, if you eat too much. A kid back home once ate about twenty berries and lived. Then again another kid ate only one and died shortly after. I think it depends on the people and how strong they are, but that's just a theory,"

"What about Alfee? I definitely remember seeing him eat some…" I say

"Yeah, that part is strange; the thing is, animals can eat them fine but not us, not humans. Never understood it," he says.

"We'll stay here until you're fully healed." He declares. I nod distractedly.

We spend most of the day relaxing in our little cave. I lay in the sleeping bag, Alfee next to me and Hunter sitting opposite of me. We make small talk, tell each other jokes and stories and play games, making the other one guess what we're thinking of. I hum from time to time, letting myself unwind. Hunter offers to comb and braid my hair. I object, fearing what his hands could do.

"I grew up with five sisters. Believe me, I can handle hair by now," he says smirking.

I unsteadily let him run his fingers through my hair, catching in some knots and untangling them with ease. Tiny shivers run through me, it feels great.

"Your hair is very soft. I thought it would be rougher, like a lion's mane," he says wondrously.

"What, you've touched a lion's mane?" I say sarcastically.

"No but I imagine it would feel rough, tough." he says.

"Hmmm."

He braids it in a blink of an eye and ties it off.

* * *

Around nightfall, I drift back to sleep. I'm bewildered by how strained I feel. Hunter strokes my head and though I feel like waving his hand away, I'm too tired to lift my arm. And it feels comforting.

My heart pounds and of my name being called. I wake up frozen with fear.

"Chicory! Wake up! It's just a bad dream," his deep voice sounds frightened.

I'm wrapped around him, my arms encircling his neck and my legs squeezing his waist. I'm trembling. Cold sweats cover me and I feel chilly. Hunter tugs to loosen my arms; I think I might be choking him. I lessen my grip slightly and he rubs my back. I go back to sleep as he hums a lullaby I don't know.

* * *

The sun is merciless. It's one of those summer days when it's so hot you sweat even though you're not lifting a finger. Before long, we've emptied our bottles. Alfee sleeps most of the time and when he's awake, it's to pant. My mouth is dry as sand by noon. It's hot I think I can see vapour wafting from plants, wet rocks and the ground. Then again, it might just be a mirage. Hunter looks better for worse; hair stuck to his face-wet with sweat- eyes dreary and mouth hanging, panting like Alfee. My head throbs.

By nightfall, my voice is cracked as are my lips. Hunter's holding his head in his hands. Alfee sits up and stares outside our den. For a moment I'm alarmed but Alfee doesn't bark so I guess the coast is clear. I hear a low rumble building to a loud echoing crash. Lightning. I instinctively curl up in to a tight ball, protecting my head with my arms. People are yelling at me, beating me.

"Hey, Chicory. It's just thunder…and you know what that means, right?" his deep voice asks.

_Rain_

Though the heat of the day still lingers heavily, I get up and walk out of our cave into the thickening down pour. First a few teasing tantalizing droplets of lukewarm water, then, gradually, heavy rain that drenches me in a matter of moments. I twirl on the spot and laugh. Rain! Oh it feels _so_ good. I suck on my hair, gulping down the sweet water. Hunter joins me in the heavenly rain and moves to a plant with large leaves. He plucks out the two widest and hands me one.

"Here, like this," he says as he holds the leaf in place so that the rain collects onto it and slide down to its tip. He brings it to his mouth and closes his eyes with pleasure. We gorge ourselves with this delicious perfect water. I don't know how long we spend out there but eventually we agree we should go back to the dry den. Don't want to get sick now. Hunter puts our bottles out so they can fill up. As he sits back down, a canon fires, almost passing as thunder. But I'm too satisfied to be down and so is he.

The adrenaline of finally drinking wears off and soon I'm shivering, wet and cold. My skin puckers like chicken skin. Hunter hesitates then scoots closer next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders. Reflexively I move toward the heat, nuzzling into his chest. He stiffens but doesn't move me. When we both start to doze off, he slides into the sleeping bag, leaving me cold again. He lifts up the opening, inviting me in. I practically leap towards him and the warm heat of another's body. It's like we fit together; my arms around his torso, his around me-one resting on my head, stroking my hair. I don't pay any attention and fall asleep as soon as I close my eyes. In my sleep, the booming thunder resonates as an innocent safe purr.

* * *

A nice smell pulls me from sleep. I sit up and rub my eyes, effectively warding off my drowsiness. Hunter is by a small fire, roasting nuts. He glances my way and smiles. He carefully takes out a few from the embers and takes on the task of peeling them. On the last one, his knife slips and grazes his thumb. A small trickle of blood escapes the cut and his face drains of all color.

"What, you're afraid of blood? Are you sure you're a Career?" I giggle. He tries to smile but breathes heavily. I don't want him to be scared.

"Here, let me." I grab his injured hand and lick his thumb. I don't like the taste of blood; all metallic and a little sour. We don't have any bandages so it might get infected. I rip off a piece of cloth from my under shirt- the cleanest bandage substitute I can find- and wrap it around his thumb.

"There, all better." Not knowing anything else that could cheer him up or at least comfort him, I pat his head, as you would a child. He smiles. I like it when he smiles.

* * *

When our stomachs are satisfied, Hunter offers to go hunting and grab his bow. He said he got it via parachute. Very likely considering he's good looking and a career tribute. I don't offer for Alfee to accompany him and he doesn't ask. While he's gone, I occupy myself by scraping as much of the mud off my clothes as I can. It crumbles off, leaving brown stains on the fabric. Alfee wanders in the woods, probably to hunt for himself. I sometimes forget he isn't a dog but a coyote and a dangerous one. To me, he's nothing but a big softy.

Not long after my cleaning, I hear a light bell chime. A parachute! I walk out of the den to see for myself. Sure enough, a little silver parachute hovers and lands into my open hands. I open it and find a miniscule vial with some honey coloured liquid and two pills. A slip of paper from Flint is the only other thing in the parachute. He's sent me a message;

_Vial-throat syrup Pills-Energy boost / Keep up the good work and give 'em a show._

I uncap the vial and swallow the mouthful of liquid it contains. It tastes horrible; an acrid bitter taste covered by some sweet stuff, probably honey. I reread the note, wondering what he means by 'show'. I decide to save the Energy boost pills for later, in case I…we get real tired.

By dusk, I start to feel nervous. Hunter said he'd be back soon, no later than sun down. I stand up, only to sit back down. He'll be fine. Why worry? Why should I care? Only…

A canon fires. Then another, then a third and fourth both almost at once.

I leap to my feet, heart pounding.

"Hunter?!" I cry, waiting for a reply.

"Hunter!" I yell. I look everywhere for him.

I run out into the open and almost immediately slam into him. We topple over to the ground, me on top of him.

"Hey!" I ignore his protest and hold his face looking for any signs of blood.

"I'm okay," he says calmly. "Chicory, I'm fine, see?" he says. The information sinks in slowly and tears well up in my eyes. I give a small sob and then explode in a long wail, making Hunter jump beneath me. He slides from under me and holds me in his arms, rubbing my back and stoking my hair.

"I'm sorry I took so long Chicory. I promise I'm fine," he says. "And look; I've got supper."

A plump animal with a long snout and tusks lies on the ground next to him. A wild hog? I've rarely seen them back home in our woods, and when Nate and I did find some, it took a lot of effort to simply catch one which we never managed to do. Killing one single handed is quite an exploit. A silver arrow is lodged in its eye.

"Nice…hic…sh-hot," I say. Hunter smiles revealing lovely teeth.

"Thanks. This guy gave me a hard time," he says.

While skinning it we find out it has a thick layer of fat under its leathery skin. My mouth waters involuntarily. I gather firewood while Hunter guts the boar and sticks it on a wooden spit. We build a roaring fire and set the spit over the embers. The sky is alight with vivid hues of purple and orange, a beautiful sunset. Hunter cuts off a hind leg and hands it to me. The heat of the cooked meat burns a little but I ignore it and focus my stomach. I take a tentative but large bite and freeze. It's exquisite. The juices flow on my tongue, savoury and greasy. I wipe my chin and swallow. I finish the entire leg in record time, just as Alfee is bounding towards us. Probably smelled the food, that lazy dog. I give him the bone and a large chunk of meat. He devours it instantly. We got to sleep huddled together again in the sleeping bag.

* * *

I wake up to a thought that's been nagging me in the back of my head surfaces now, of all times. I feel like I've had a dream but I can't remember it. We eat some more pig for breakfast. There's still a lot left. The thought lingers on the tip of my tongue until I finally give in.

"Hunter?"

"Yeah?" he says with his mouth full.

"Why…why have you been so…kind?" _you know, holding me, comforting me _I want to add.

"Because," I wait for him to elaborate but he doesn't.

"Because…?"

He looks away. He pick at a twig, snapping it repeatedly.

"I don't know. Maybe you look like I've known you forever. Maybe your voice is the most beautiful thing I've heard in all my life. Maybe your eyes make me shiver. Maybe you make me feel like everything will be alright. Maybe I just love you," his voice slowly rising, starting as a whisper and ending as a cry. I gasp and stare at him and he holds my gaze.

"Why?" I breathe.

"I don't know. Because. But I can't love you, we're not meant to. I'm a hunter, Chicory, and so are you. We kill… to survive." he says, his voice wavering, almost tired.

And I think of everything. This is that stupid Zev Tuckin and my sister all over again. He just…loved her. Just like that. And, in the end, she loved him back. If they'd realized it sooner, they might've had more time to love each other. I'm sick of being alone. I want to feel it. Mommy used to say that dad made her feel like she wasn't hungry, like she wasn't cold, like times weren't so grey. He made, she said, everything happy, like sunshine. I want it so badly. I want all this to be over and for the rest of my days to be filled with sunshine and daisies. I don't care anymore. I am letting myself loose. Wild.

I lean in and kiss him. I've never kissed anyone before and it's strange but warm. I think I hear Alfee whimper, but I don't stop.

"But I don't care," I breathe. He kisses me back and I grow hungry, more than I've ever been. Ah, give 'em a show, Flint said. I get it; the capitol must be eating this up right now. My head is buzzing so much the ground shakes, quivers and trembles as I do. Hunter pulls away suddenly and looks around frantically.

"What is it?" The ground truly is shaking. The air is getting hotter, I hadn't noticed in our heat. "Earthquake!" Hunter earth rumbles and roars, rocks go tumbling down the giant boulder, threatening to hit us. "Run!"

We grab our things with haste and leap back out into the day light. There are cracks in the ground and the roaring grows louder, worse than lightning. Trees fall, rocks tumble and the constant noise; all of it is so chaotic. Animals flee, jumping and scurrying away in every direction. I vaguely hear Hunter yell that we need to find open ground. Alfee sprints ahead of us, leading the way as usual. The air smells funny, like a rotting egg or cabbage. It makes me nauseous. We step out onto the bloodbath field, our podiums still there, not long before the trembling finally stops.

"We have to be careful. There might be an aftershock," he says, catching his breath. The earth is chiselled with cracks, fissures and rifts, some not so bad but others deep as a tomb. I sprawl myself in the long grass and soak up the sunlight. Alfee licks my face and I sit up to scratch him between the ears. Hunter looks around, searching for any dangers. We're like sitting ducks out here in the open. Not so far away from us is a big mountain. The sky is as blue as a chicory flower.

"How do you know about earthquakes so much? What are they?" I ask.

"An earthquake is when stones underground collide or rub each other. These stones are huge and when they move it often affects the ground above. I know about them because we have them back home," he looks grim and sad as he says this. I'm curious but I don't pry.

We're startled by trumpets booming throughout the arena. The Head Gamemaker, Sean Flanagan's voice echoes in the still air.

"Attention. Attention all tributes. We wish to congratulate you for making to the final eight,"

_Eight? I've made it this far? Wait…this means they'll be interviewing our family and friends. My mother, Nate, Penny…_

"We wish to encourage you and hope for the best. And may the odds be ever in your favour."

And just as abruptly as it started, the trumpets die out and we're left with the calm of the clearing. It's just about noon. Suddenly Hunter curses and kicks at the earth, sending bits of dirt and grass flying.

"We left the pig!" he exclaims with frustration. "It took me almost a whole day to finally trap and kill it," he groans. I giggle since it's funny to see him so out of his wits.

"What?" he declares more than he asks.

"You, how your acting. We just escaped an _earthquake_ and know we've been informed we're in the final eights; and you're thinking about some leftover pig we left behind?" I laugh. He looks flabbergasted, confused and somewhat lost. It's adorable like a dog chasing its tail.

"You're right," he says, smiling.

"As a matter of fact, I think it's high time I went hunting. You've taken real good care of me and I'm in your debt." I say. I don't really mind being in his debt but if…if he dies before I can repay it…

"Sure. I'll…make some shelter, or something." He replies looking at our whereabouts.

I decide to take Alfee with me but I don't know how we can signal each other, me and Hunter. I think of when Zev went to look for willow bark for my sister, seven years ago in the 93rd Games. He used mockingjays, she used a whistle. I _have_ a whistle but no one can hear it but Alfee. Ah.

"I've got an idea. Alfee'll come with me and you keep this," I put the whistle in his hand. "If anything happens or we need to regroup, blow it. Alfee'll hear it and bring me back to you. Right Alfee?" he barks in approval. Maybe _he_ is part mutt, like the mockingjays. A capitol experiment that didn't meet their desires. He's definitely smarter than any dog I've ever seen.

"Alright. But…be carefull, 'kay?"

"Duh." I smile and am about to leave when I think of what Flint wrote. Give 'em a show. I lean forward and kiss his cheek, pressing my forehead to his for a moment.

"I'll see you soon." I say as sweetly as I can.

I stride off into the foliage, walking over fallen trees. Alfee wanders around, staying nearby, spotted only if you know he's there. I have my bow strung and an arrow notched, ready for anything. I notice a mockingjay perched on a low branch, looking at me intently. I whistle cheerfully at it and delight in its sweet reply. It sings to me a lost song, from where or when I couldn't dream of. I try to memorize the notes and the rhythm. It's time I wrote a new song.

I keep on walking, words joining together in my head. I don't sing in fear of scaring away any game.

* * *

_I'm Comin' home, I'm Coming home_

_Tell my love that I'm comin' home_

_Let the wind blow away_

_All the pain of Yesterday_

It's a start but I know I'm not as good as Rae. She could come up with a song before you even asked her to do it. I notice a berry bush a few feet away. I start towards it glad to find something but jump back. It's _that_ berry, NightShade. I think of my weakness when I should have protected Abbye. I choke back my tears at the thought that she might've still been able to sing to her if only I'd done something.

_I know I'm not so very Brave_

_I know you'll make it all okay_

_And I will do my best_

_Though inside I'm such a mess_

I think I spot a fox scurrying in the greenery, its fur glinting a brassy glow.

_I'll see the Sun Shine on your Hair_

_Outside the dangers are all there_

I think of Hunter, a light warm heat rising to my cheeks.

_Hush don't cry, because I'm here_

_So there's nothing else to fear_

I miss my home- that rickety old shed of a house I call home- so much right now. I want to curl up under the itchy woollen blanket on my bed.

_I know that my Home awaits_

_Have you Forgiven my Mistakes?_

_I'll be home soon, very soon_

_I'll be there by the next Moon_

The rustle of leaves to my right draws my attention and I raise my arrow. It's a hare, munching on some cowslip. It hasn't yet heard me or seen me since it has its back to me. As quietly as I can, I aim and shoot. Alfee bounds back to get it and brings it to me. I retrieve my arrow, happy with my catch. I think the sun has reached its highest point so I think it's time to back to Hunter.

_When all Hope seems so slight_

_I know you'll make it all alright_

_I'm so lucky to be yours_

_I'm so lucky that you're mine_

I blush the colour of the rabbit's blood smeared on my fingers from pulling out the arrow. A lovely shade of crimson, almost sickening.

_I'm Comin' Home, I'm comin' home_

_Tell my love that I'm comin' home_

_Let the wind blow away_

_All the pain of Yesterday…_

Alfee tenses and barks at me. What's wrong? Hunter must be blowing the whistle! He needs me.

I run as Alfee sprints ahead of me. Luckily, we aren't very far from the clearing. We first went into the woods in a straight line then took a right, in the same direction as the big mountain.

As soon as I leap out onto the open field, I'm swarmed by conflicting emotions. First, relief because Hunter is there and safe. Then I feel fear creep onto me as I notice who else is there; three Careers holding Hunter down as he struggles to free himself. My eyes fly from one face to another. A girl with amber collared hair and mean yellow eyes stands taller than me and looks much older. The tribute from district one I think. The girl from district four looks agitated and scared. Her blue eyes don't look at me or at Hunter and her dirty blond hair is a mess. Tom Attler, of whom Abbye new the name only because he was the boy tribute from her district, grins wickedly at me.

"So, looks like we've got ourselves a couple of lovebirds, huh?" he sneers.

"Shut up," Hunter growls.

"Hey, Amber, show our captive some politeness, won't you?" Tom says to nicely.

The girl with the amber hair smiles and knees Hunter in the stomach. He yelps and coughs. I see a faint dribble of red at the corner of his bruised mouth. What did they do to him? I raise my bow and find my big voice.

"Let him go, or else." I say as menacingly as I can. Amber laughs coolly.

I pull back the arrow.

"Ah, ah, a-ah," she pulls out a knife from her belt and places it to Hunter's neck. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

I lower my bow immediately. "Drop it," she says. My arms go limp and I let my bow fall to the ground. "On your knees," she says and I obey weakly.

"Now, I want you to beg me not to kill him," she says the grin melting into her purring voice, her hand keeping the knife firmly to Hunter's throat.

"Please…" I don't have time to finish that a loud explosion resonates throughout the arena. I cover my ears and wince. I turn towards what I think is the source.

I duck just in time to avoid a ball of fire that singes my hair as it flies past me and hits Tom instead. Amber screams with rage and surprise and brings both her hands to her face. I take this opportunity to grab my bow, notch an arrow and shoot her, right through her heart.

* * *

**Yay! So that's chapter 13 yall! Sorry for any mistakes (I really need a BetaReader). Thank you for reading and being _so_ kind and leaving me a review! I always love the advice, the ideas but mostly the critics. Thank you again. Rox, j'espère que t'es contente et que t'aimes ce chapitre! Anyway, I'll get started on Chappy 14 as soon as I can.  
**

**P.S. this chapter was unlucky...get it? :P **

**P.P.S. ****Okay, just to be clear, this song was highly INSPIRED by Coming Home by Diddy-Dirty money ft. Skylar Grey. I added different lyrics to the tune. (this song here is meant to be sung to that tune) Hope you enjoyed:)**  


** -Pa3k-**


	14. Smoke

An expression of pure bewilderment paints her face, as Amber falls to the ground like a rag-doll. Two canons fire. The girl from four, clearly not as strong as her allies, lets go of Hunter and backs away, squealing. She trips backwards and backs away from Alfee who's growling at her, then gets up and runs away yelping, disappearing into the woods in front of the mountain. The dry grass is catching quickly, the smoke stinging my eyes and dulling my sense of smell. I swiftly move to Hunter, to steady him as he tries to get up. He looks terrible; a nasty looking bruise marks most of his face from his right eye to his right cheek and a part of his nose even. His lower lip is cut and bleeding, so is another one on his forehead.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Oh yeah, sure. I'm fine; in fact I think I could try racing Alfee to that tree." He says sarcastically, coughing after every few words or so. He grins as best he can. "What do you think, Chic?" he says.

"Well if you can joke around, you must be at least a little bit okay. Can you walk?" I ask.

"Yeah…I think." He says sheepishly. He takes a few steps with my support but shrugs me off and then after another step, tumbles to his knees, crying out.

"What is it? What hurts?" I cry as I rush to his side, not daring to touch him.

"E-everything. My leg…my side and my stomach…" he gasps. He spits out some blood, clearly he got punched to his face. Tom's body is burning and the smell of his flesh cooking is grotesque as is the sight of it. Amber lies of the ground, eyes wide and lifeless. The dry grass is catching quickly, with the fire from that flaming ball. Where did it come from? I hear Hunter swear, then cough.

"What?" I say worriedly. He points and for a moment I stare at his finger and not what he's pointing at. I gaze in the directing of the mountain. My heart sinks; Black smoke billows up from its peak, the darkened sky blazing with the same fiery rocks. One crashed into the ground to our right, scattering into fragments of rock and dirt, both flaming dangerously onto the grass. The fire is spreading; we need to get out of here, fast. The Hovercraft will be here shortly to get the bodies and don't want to be here when that happens.

"Hunter, we need to move, now." I implore him. He looks up at the mountain, the lit grass and then gazes at me with pure despair.

"Chic, I won't make it," he says in one breath. I grab both his shoulders so he can avert my eyes and speak with every ounce of determination I possess.

"You Are Coming With Me. Whether You Like It Or Not." He hesitates so I lean down and kiss him, tasting his blood. I lean my forehead against his, feeling my cheeks moisten with tears.

"Don't leave me alone. I don't want to be alone anymore." I whisper to him, hoping the capitol can't hear me. His eyes go a little brighter and seem more resolved.

"Together, huh, Chic?" he grins.

"You betcha." I smile at him. I help him up and we walk-run as fast as we can away from the blazing prairie and the smoky mountain.

We walk into the woods. Any that didn't flee the earthquake run wild now, moving with us. At several occasions, a clumsy beast nearly trips us. The sun is rising slowly, just above the trees. We must have woken up early though I always wake up before dawn, back home. I wonder if the other tributes know about the mountain and are fleeing just like we are.

When I think we've covered at least a mile of ground, I help Hunter sit down so we can catch our breaths. I walk around, surveying the area when I'm thrown back by an invisible force. I black out for only a moment and then jolt upright, full of some odd energy. It stings slightly.

"Chicory!" Hunter calls out.

"I'm fine, just shocked," I reply waving his help off. "I think we've found the arena's limit though, huh?" I say trying to make him laugh. He nods and grins weakly.

"Do you know why that mountain is on fire?" I ask. He knew about earthquakes after all.

"Yeah, it's called a volcano. There's liquid fire in there, and it's about to spill out and head for us," he says.

"What?! We have to get out of here!" I say franticly.

"Calm down, Chic. We gotta think," he says, breathing deeply. I take a few good breaths myself. Focus.

"If this is the end of the arena we just need to follow along this limit until we get far enough away from the mountain," he says finally.

We walk along the barrier and I throw a rock every so often to see where it is. Alfee comes running out of the greenery, smelling strongly of smoke. He carries in his jaws a long branch and gives it to Hunter. Oh, a walking stick! I scratch his ears and keep walking.

The air is grey with smoke, the sound of the fire consuming the woods is nearing, ominous and frightening. We try to pick up the pace and go faster. A canon fires and I jump in the air in surprise. Hunter looks at me oddly and I blush and walk past him. Another one fires fifteen minutes later. Mentally, I count how many have died and now how many remain. With Hunter and me, only four are left. Only two to go. But then what? What happens when it's just Hunter and me? I shake my head to rid it of these confusing thoughts.

A glimpse of white in the air catches my eye. Snow? I open my mouth to catch a snowflake. As soon as it lands on my tongue, I gag and spit it out.

"Why'd you do that? That's ash, stupid!" Hunter reprimands me.

"Well sorry." I say sarcastically.

We keep walking and soon the ground is covered in a thin white blanket of ash. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was winter. The temperature in the arena is growing hotter, suffocating even. We don't have any water in our bottles and soon my throat is dry and irritated. Hunter says it's normal, because of the ashes in the air. We keep moving sensing the danger is growing closer. I look at the sky; it must be around mid-afternoon, judging by the sun. My stomach grumbles. Oh no! I dropped that rabbit in the meadow. While I damn myself, Hunter stops and dashes forward so I have to run to catch up with him. He's still limping but seems to be ignoring it. He stops abruptly and I nearly slam into him. I rub my sore nose from the impact, grunting in disapproval.

"Not this way, we've got to find another way," he says, passing his fingers in his hair, sweeping it out of his eyes.

"Why?" I ask. He points ahead of us. "That's why," he says. Slightly below us there is a small plain of dried up cracked earth. Smoke gushes out of little mounds of dirt, blasting out into the air. It's very hot now.

"That's a geyser. Don't go near them, the steam'll cook you alive," he says warningly.

We opt for the left side. More ash hovers gracefully to the ground. The air is foggy with steam. Hunter is in pain, I know it even if he's trying to hide it. His right leg is bleeding profusely, his trousers are nearly soaked. Maybe we should tie it or something, but I don't know how and I'm terrified I'll just make it worse. In my wishy-washy-ness, I don't realize Hunter has taken the initiative of bandaging it himself. Ah.

There's a horrible smell. It makes me dizzy, just like holding my breath for too long does. It's almost dusk and though we can't see the mountain, we can clearly notice the red blazing glow of decimation in the distance. The woods are silent, not a single sound, not even a breeze; just nothing. It drives me insane. Our stomachs are grumbling and again I damn myself for not grabbing the rabbit. My throat is dry and cracked by the smoke, the ashes and the fact that we haven't drank anything since this morning. This morning. Everything was fine this morning and now, it's turned to pure chaos. My stomach hurts from hunger.

I think of Flint. Maybe if I…give the capitol a show, again, he'll get some hopeless romantic sponsors and send us some water and food. Well, it's a plan, at least.

I grab his arm gently and wrap it around my neck, to support him better and get closer to him. He looks slightly surprised but smiles.

Finally, we decide to stop for a thirty minute break. I sit down right next to him, nearly into his lap. I'm very careful not to put any weight on his wounds. Tentatively, I rest my head on his shoulder. He doesn't seem to be in pain so I relax. The sun is going down.

I try to think of my mother and father, how they looked when he was alive and in love. They were both always happy and optimistic considering our living conditions. My mother used to sing just for him, and her face would glow when she heard his footsteps at our door. She would know he was home before Rae and me, just as he was about to open the door. She'd swing it open and leap into his arms. There was laughter then. There was love and warmth then. My father's voice was always soft and gentle even when he was in an argument with mother. And she always kissed him good morning and goodnight, before he went to the mines and when he came home safely. I think of how broken she was when he died. He was her only way of coping with Rae's death. An idea floats into view. "I have a secret to tell you, lean closer." I say to Hunter.

He looks at me confused, probably because he knows I know we are being filmed and the capitol can probably hear us even if we whisper. But he tilts his head and I lift mine so that my lips graze his ear. He shivers a little.

"I love you" I blow into his ear. He turns his head swiftly so that he's facing me and I lean in and kiss him. I've come to realize, I like kisses.

We only break our kiss only when we hear the light chime of a large silver parachute hovering down to us. It lands in my hands and I quickly unscrew the lid. Inside lies a treasure; a pot of thick creamy soup, a bundle of hot buns with nuts and raisins in it, a large bottle of water and some fruit cakes. There are even some silver spoons. Flint has left us -me- a note.

_You got it. Nice job kid._

I smile and turn back to Hunter and beam at him. He looks curiously at the feast. He tries to get up but doesn't make it past an inch above the ground. So I bring the feast to him. I check his forehead; it's hot, he's got a fever.

"Do you think you can hold down some food?" I ask.

"Yeah…" he breathes. He must've been struggling, fighting to go on while we were moving away from the volcano. I feel so sorry. I should've left Alfee with him. Speaking of Alfee, I toss him a bun that he snaps his jaws around, gulping it down with glee.

Hunter raises his arm but it falls limply to his side. Patiently, I dip the spoon into the soup and blow on it a little. I raise it to his lips and he swallows it. I manage to coax several spoonfuls into him, as well as half a bun and a fruit cake. I have to force him to drink even a drop of water though.

The Anthem plays and I see the faces of the day's dead tributes on the ceiling of our safe haven. The boy from five and the girl from three.

With no objections on Hunter's part, we decide to make ourselves a shelter. I lead him to a group of boulders, with a large one atop them, serving as a useful roof. The night is slowly creeping out, the dark settling in. We snuggle into the sleeping bag and while I drift to sleep, I pray for the heat of our both our bodies and the sleeping bag to draw out his fever.

* * *

I'm woken to the sound of rain pounding on the rock above our heads, the crash and rumble of thunder. I freeze but relax. I'm with Hunter, nothing can hurt me. That thunder is no roar, it is a soft purr. I go back to sleep.

* * *

My face is wet. A drop of ice cold water drips onto my cheek. I brush it off. Another one falls. I open my eyes reluctantly. Hunter is right next to me. My heart sinks. He looks worse than yesterday. I check his fever; it got hotter. I'm so scared. He's going to leave me, maybe not intentionally, if I don't do something. I decide to recheck all his injuries, to know how bad he is.

I get him out of his outer clothes and, like me, he's not squeamish about nakedness, though he isn't entirely bare. He's still got briefs and an undershirt on him. I examine his minor cuts and scrapes, and let Alfee lick them clean. A nasty purple bruise marks his left arm and, though I touch it ever so lightly with my fingers, he winces in pain. I lift up his shirt to see if a rib's been broken. They're very bruised as well, but it doesn't seem like there's anything too serious. I take a deep breath and solemnly look at his leg.

Back home, when there's an accident in the mines, you might catch glimpses of the wounded and dead if you're unlucky. I have seen many terrible things back home, but so many more here in this damned arena.

I try not to gasp. After letting Alfee lick off most of the blood and dirt caked on Hunter's leg wound, I've stared at his pain straight in the face. A knife judging by the size of the gash, probably Amber's, has left a deep cut in his right thigh. It oozes a steady flow of blood and some white liquid. I nearly gag at the thought of it getting infected. Alfee's clean it so I rip off some of his under shirt the bandage the cut. The white cloth turns red as soon as it comes in contact. Hunter looks pale and slightly green.

"How do you feel?" I ask.

"I'm okay," he replies. "It's dark out. Go back to sleep." He says. I don't argue, I'm terribly sleepy. I slip into the bag as trumpets sound and Mordecai Riggs' voice echoes.

_"Attention, Attention tributes. We wish to congratulate you for making it this far. We know that you all need something desperately, so we have prepared a little feast for you all. It shall be held at noon tomorrow, at the Cornucopia. Be prepared."_

A feast? Maybe there'll be medicine or proper bandages from Hunter's leg. Or there'll be nothing. It'll force us to be all in one place, where the gamemakers are probably hoping to get some great fighting. I glance at Hunter. He's sound asleep, completely out of it. If I tell him about my going to the feast, he'll probably object or try to stop me. _I'll go now and wait near the cornucopia, get the medicine and be back before he wakes up,_ I think to myself.

Quickly and silently, I gather my bow and quiver. Alfee whines at me and I hush at him and order him to stay. He tries to follow me and I tell him again, stay. I eat a bun and stuff another one in my pocket. Hunter has one knife, and I stick it into my belt. Then, like a shadow, I creep out of our den and wander through the woods, to the cornucopia. Hopefully I'll be there soon.

A few noises accompany me. Beetles and crickets clicking their songs, an owl hooting nearby. There is no moon, no light and that makes it hard for me to find my way.

* * *

As I finally arrive in familiar grounds, near the field where our podiums lifted us out of the earth, pale streaks of color line the early morning sky. All seems normal; the golden cornucopia stands tall in the field, shining brightly as the first rays of sunlight hit its polished surface. The sun is only just atop the trees. The earth near the cornucopia splits open suddenly and a platform rises up and comes to a halt. For each remaining tribute, there's a small backpack with their district number on it. I easily spot Hunter's, and mine. Two and Twelve.

Cautiously, oh so cautiously, I tip-toe out of the trees and onto the open grass. The coast seems clear so I dash to the table and snatch Hunter's pack and mine. As the strap wraps around my shoulder, I feel myself being thrown backwards, pulled. I scramble to get up, but there's a weight on my body, pinning me to the ground. I flail and twist, contorting my body. Hands grab my wrists and knees dig into my sides. I open my eyes and look for an attacker. Sitting on me is the girl from District eleven.

Her eyes look distressed and scared but her face bares a crazy grin. Loose strands of orange hair hang down onto my face. She's holding a dagger. Her hand slips and cuts my forearm. I bite down on my lips to hold back a yelp. She replaces her hand, then tucks the loose strands behind her ear. A choked giggle escapes her throat. Her wild eyes are a pale violet. They're hypnotizing.

Without a word she slides her knife along the skin on the underside of my other forearm. My eyes tear up from the pain. What does she plan on doing to me? After a few cuts, I realize she isn't going deep, just enough to make me bleed. She's writing something. I try to look but she backslaps me hard. My cheek stings. Finally my torture is over. She's stopped carving and is now cutting at my clothes. At my stomach her knife nicks my skin and I yell out of fear not pain. She hits me with the hilt of the knife and a wave of pain resonates in my mouth. I spit out a tooth and some blood.

Then I feel her body flat against mine, limp and heavy. I hull her off of me and back away as I realize she's dead, a long dart stuck through her heart. My eyes dart from the table to the woods, looking for the killer. I see nothing but the green of the vegetation and the smoke of the still active volcano. It is too far away, that's why the fire hasn't spread to here. I scramble to my feet and dash into the woods, back too Hunter and our den.

I trip several times on the way back, but stumble finally into our shelter. Hunter startles awake and I crash onto the den's floor, bloody and exhausted. Absentmindedly, I take my load off, placing his pack next to him. My eyes feel so heavy. I feel his hands cup under my armpits and lift my body an inch above the ground and pull me closer to him. I wrap my arms around his waist and sigh. It's all I can do but fall asleep. I'm out like a light.

* * *

**Hey everyone, sorry for the long update time. I had so many cupcakes to make. you get me right, Rox? Anyway, I'll be writing as much as I can during the holidays, and I wish you all the merriest of times with your friends and family.**

**As always, thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read and review my story. **

**Pineapple3000**

**OH! P.S. I've been drawing profusely and hopefully I'll be able to scan the drawings and post them on soon enough. My account name is the same as this one and I'll be posting images of characters from Wherever you are Chicory & Daisy. I hope they look goo! :)**


	15. Comme tombent les mouches

I'm swimming in dark waters, so bleak I can't tell where the surface is. It's terrifying, the feeling of the cold water entering my throat, my lungs, suffocating me. I thrash about but it's no use. I give up, sinking slowly staring at the blurry water. Finally, I see a light, pale and white like the moon. I swim up to it and surface, awakening.

My cheek feels warm. A soft hand brushes my hair away. My eyelids are heavy. I can hear the soft chatter of the woods and a low voice singing to me. I sigh, humming softly. The voice dies down.

"Hey, wake up sleepy head," it says.

I want to obey; I open my eyes and close them, then again, adjusting to the light and finally keep them open. Mentally, I try to recall where I am and why. I'm at the cave's entrance, my head on Hunter's lap, the evening sun prickling my skin. I'm suddenly aware of the pain in my arm and mouth, and I gasp. My eyes tear up.

"That bad, huh?" Hunter says. I try to sit up, relying on Hunter and on my right arm, rather them my painful left one. I notice it's bandaged. I taste blood in my mouth. Tentatively, I prod it with my tongue. I nearly yelp in pain when it comes into contact with my bottom left row of teeth. There's a gaping hole where my canine used to be.

"Owwiiee," I whimper.

"Here chew these," Hunter says, pouring some poppy seeds into my palm, "It'll help with the pain."

I chew them slowly, and sigh in relief; it's not much less painful but it's better than nothing. My jumbled thoughts reorganise themselves and the earlier events come back to me. Hunter's leg, the feast, the girl from eleven, the carving-writing on my arm-, the dart, the adrenaline rush, collapsing into the cave…

"Your leg," I cry.

"It's much better now. There was a health kit in the pack; some bandages, antiseptic cream, painkillers, needle and thread and cold compresses. I dressed the wound myself," he says with a hint of pride in his voice.

"And my arm?" I say. His face falls. I make to unwrap my arm but Hunter stops me by grabbing my wrist. He disguises the movement by pulling my hand to his cheek.

"You scared the living daylights out of me, Chic," he says, eyes shining. They turn darker. "Why did you go?" he seems angry.

"…Sorry," I say guiltily. "I had to…for you…you were bleeding out in front of me…I was so scared Hunter…" I stammer and choke up on the last words. I might be in shock. Hunter enfolds me in his arms and strokes my hair, my back. I cry in his neck, releasing all of my anxiety, fear and pain. He murmurs soft words into my ear and rubs some warmth into my body. The sun is almost completely gone and I'm suddenly terrified of the night and all the horrors that hide in the shadows. I refuse to move even only an inch and insist Hunter doesn't either. I'm not sure if the gamemakers are still enthralled with the whole romance "act".

Hunter drapes the open sleeping bag around us and lies back, letting my head rest on his chest. He sings softly in my ear, for my ear only it seems. I'm bone tired and worn out but every time I feel myself drift off I snap awake, alert and nervous. Hunter doubles his efforts to get me to sleep. I keep my eyes locked onto the woods outside the cave while he brushes his lips on my cheeks and my neck. I shiver and soften a little. I feel him smile on my skin. His breath on my ear is warm and ticklish. I turn away from the dark woods and give in to the security of his arms. I keep my ear to his chest so I can hear his heartbeat, that sweet rhythm that assures me he is really here, that he is alive and loving me.

* * *

_I feel light like I always do when I'm dreaming. Rae's sitting in the meadow, braiding flowers to make a crown or a necklace. I'm sprawled next to her, whistling with a blade grass, looking up at the sky, basking in the summer sun. _

"_Chicory, it's time to go home, now."_

* * *

A low long howl echoes through the arena bouncing off the trees and spreading in every direction. I jump up to my feet, Hunter by my side.

"What do you think it is?" My voice is shaky.

"Probably just some wolves. Doubt a wolf could howl like that though…" he doesn't finish.

"Mutts," I whisper. My mind snaps awake and I'm already formulating ideas and plans. Hunter is gathering our things.

"We can't stay here, like sitting ducks, waiting to be sniffed out by whatever made that howl," I say. Hunter nods.

"Where to then, chief?" he says with a grin. I think hard: where would be the last place they'd think we'd go to? I don't want to risk the gamemakers hearing my plan so I lean forward into Hunter's arms, stand on my tip toes, and wrap my arms around his neck so my hair covers my face.

"We go to the Mountain. It's been quiet for the past few days. If anything chases us, it might not be too inclined to following us there," I whisper as softly as I can. He turns his face into my hair.

"Anyone ever tell you you're completely crazy?" I can hear the smile in his voice.

"Will you stand by me?"

"Oh Chicory Hickory Dickory Docks. You may be crazy but I do love you. Lead the way."

I back away and pull his face to mine and kiss him. I try to memorize every touch, every detail about him.

* * *

With the stealth of a mother deer, we creep out of our shelter and into the ominous woods. Hunter makes no noise, none at all as he strides across the trees. It's hard to see in the dark but I'm absolutely certain that he cringes every time I snap a twig under my foot.

We aren't that far from the meadow and soon, we are just about on the border, moulding our bodies to the trees. The meadow where the cornucopia stands is graveyard quiet, not a single little critter. Not even the wind. I can only hear the pounding of my heart and fear it can be heard throughout the arena. We step out onto the open field, towards the mountain. The ground here is fine; no blackened trees or burnt grass. The volcano's eruption must've only spilled on one side of the arena, where me and Abbye had first gone to. Now we face the mountain's opposite side. It's awfully dark, no moon and no stars.

We walk to the cornucopia: the volcano is very close now and we can feel its heat. I take a step forward and there it is again; that low teeth grinding howl. It's worse than the screech of nails on blackboards. I freeze. It's much louder now, like it's getting closer.

We start a slow-paced jog and soon we are at the foot of the mountain. The ground rumbles and gurgles too, like an empty stomach. I breathe deeper because of the warmer air, though it feels cozy. Alfee sniffs around, raising a leg to pee and then scratching the earth. He whips around, fur puffed up, snarling. I immediately pull out an arrow and notch it. Hunter has a knife, which he has taken out and is holding at the ready.

We decide to climb up a tall sturdy-looking tree to get a look at the arena. It takes Hunter a little more time than me to climb but he keeps up alright. We sit in the crook of a large branch and the main trunk, and look around.

Over to the blue distant hills, a sliver of sky on the horizon is a glowing cloudy blue, the light streaking out, like an explosion, in soft pale colors. Twilight. Unconsciously, I lean my head on Hunter's chest, his arm instinctively wrapping my shoulders.

"I never knew the sky could do _that_," I whisper.

"If we get out, back in district two, the sunsets are mind-blowing." Hunter says in my hair.

If we get out? Back in District two?

In his arms, I look below, to the arena and retrace my passing. I spot the pods and the Cornucopia. It's all surrounded by lush forests. To our left, the dried up rapids cut through the trees, curving and swerving as it nears the volcano. One part goes further, closer to the Cornucopia, and eventually disappears. The other goes towards the dried cracked earth where we encountered the geysers. Beyond that I see the rocky mounds that slowly turn into wavy hills. No sign of danger. I turn to Hunter.

His eyes are closed. They have dark circles under them. I can't help but wonder if he's been lying to me about his being fine, thanks to the medicine kit. I'm about to have a look at his leg when he interrupts me by starting to climb down. I follow suit.

The low gurgling roar of something that should never see the light of day echoes and seems to reverberate into the earth as soon as we touch the ground.

We head towards the mountain, running. We dash the remaining trees and leap over rocks and roots with agility, failing to trip over them. We've only just set foot on the rocky upward slope when a loud roar forces us to stop to cover our ears. And then, everything happens so fast. The earth splits, hot liquid fire oozing out of the gaping crevice. I'm vaguely reminded of Hunter's leg wound.

I see Hunter fall over; the ground is shaking violently. Alfee barks wildly. I drop to the ground, unbalanced by the commotion. I barely see it, the large rock that hits me squarely in the head and I slump to the earth, dazed and barely conscious. I feel a cold chill sweep over me and I go away.

* * *

I feel cold, so very cold. I can't feel my limbs, only the pounding relentless pain in my head. Hunter, where is he?

I squint, the burning, dusty air prickling my eyes. He's not there. He's not there. He's. Not. There. I look everywhere but I can't find him. I try, oh, I try so hard not to panic, but to stay calm. It's nothing, no canon, it's nothing. Maybe he just tumbled down the hill or maybe…maybe he fell into a hole in the rock…I don't know, I don't know. My hands are shaking, the nails bloody from my biting them, nearly ripping them off.

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold myself together somehow, keep the emotion inside. But it's too much and I weep, crying out for the pain in my head is so great.

What if he's dead? What if his canon went off while I was out? I cry even harder. I'm all alone. Again. With shuddering breaths I try to calm down. I feel strangely…empty. Void of…anything at all. I feel a crazy grin stretch on my lips. It's alright. It's alright. I'm lying next to the deep crevice, its heat burning into my frozen body. I look down into it; it's very, very deep and full of burning liquid. It's alright. I crawl closer to the edge. It's alright. I close my eyes and reflect on my existence for a moment. I see my parents-I wonder if my mother will go away again-, my sister who I'll soon see again, Nate-I'm sorry Nate-, little Hannah, Abbye, Hunter. I roll over.

* * *

Something yanks my backpack and I try to shrug it off. I'm just hanging, my body suspended in the air. No, why won't it let me be? I want to die and on my own terms. Maybe it's a mutt, come to tear me to bits. I hear Alfee growl and barks viciously. I reach my hand up to stroke his fur. Oh Alfee, don't worry about me. When I'm gone you're going to have to survive here; I'm sorry.

"HEY!"

I feel hands grab my arms and pull me up. They yank me up, back onto solid ground. My head is killing me. I look up to see the girl from four, the one who'd run away screaming when the volcano erupted, saving Hunter from the Careers. She's barely standing, a bloody mess at her throat, where her shoulder meets her neck. Staring at me, smiling, she steps back and crumples to the ground like a rag doll. Boom. That's her canon. I sit there, waiting for the victor's trumpets. Seconds, minutes go by. And just like that, I realize. I'm not alone and only one person remains.

* * *

**Hey guys! I'm so so so so sooooooo Sorry for the long wait! School's been ruff :( Again sorry and I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as I can! :)**


	16. Roadblock evaded

I think rapidly, frantically gathering my thoughts. They haven't named me victor. That means I'm not the only one left. And that means, Hunter is alive and well. Hopefully, well.

The girl's body lies limp next to me. Strangely, I notice she's smiling a little, staring emptily at a pale blue flower sprouting out of the grass that looks familiar to me. I close her eyelids. Alfee nuzzles my face, his mouth soaked with red. Everything gets blurry and I drift willingly to sleep.

Cold drips of water fall on my cheek; Alfee whines and licks my face. I feel like I've simply closed my eyes and reopened them. But the sky is darker now, filled with heavy rain clouds, so I know I've been asleep for a while. I pat Alfee and assess myself. Besides the pounding in my temple and massive soreness in my muscles, I feel alright. Sitting up slowly, resting myself on my knees, I formulate a plan.

The earth near the big crack is elevated, not simply split apart. In result, I am on higher ground and I can't see on the other side of the crevice, I can't see Hunter. Maybe he's simply knocked out, lying in the rouble. If I could just get onto the other side…

The sky grumbles and the dew that was falling earlier turns into heavy rain. Thunder crackles loudly and a lightning bolt illuminates the arena momentarily. I don't even flinch. I get up as coolly as I can, figuring out my options. I could jump, with a running start of course, or build a bridge or even walk around the crevice. The volcano is grumbling, some thick black smoke fuming out of it.

Jumping is out of the question. The distance is too great and a running start would be impossible due to the inclination of the earth. I look around; the splitting of this earth has caused many trees to fall over. I walk over to them and then shrug off my backpack. I realise I've hoarded a lot of stuff since day one in the arena. After some rummaging in the pack, I find the hatchet.

I swing it up and stab at a branch, at the junction of it and the trunk. It takes me a quarter of an hour to snap it off completely and my arms are starting to ache, but I'll need more than just one branch if I want to build a bridge. Branch after branch, I'm wiping my brow more and more often. The arena seems to be getting hotter and I'm wiping my brow more and more often because of the rain and my sweat. When I've chopped off seven branches, I fall to my knees and gasp. I'm panting from the effort and my hands burn and ache. Sores have formed and exploded on them where the hatchet rubbed too much. The pain helps ground me and keeps me from fainting.

Wearily, I pull my pack into my lap and gather all the rope or substitute I can find. I think it will suffice. I drag a branch closer to me and start the task at hand. First I make a clove hitch like I learned in the training center. I pull another branch onto this one and wrap the rope around it once tightly. When I pull on the rope, it burns into my wounded palms.

I've tied all the branches together now. I ran out of rope and had to use the metal wire I used for snares. That hurt even more that the rope and my hands started to bleed. I get up and shake one leg awake and then the other. I drag the makeshift bridge to the crevice and lift it as much as I can and left it fall into place, steadying it by pull on a long piece of wire a left long. The bridge fits to my relief and I sigh as I swing my pack on. Alfee darts in front of me and stops right before the bridge. He takes a step forward then another and finally walks over to the other side.

I follow suit, daring myself onward above the ominous precipice at my feet. The branches creek and wobble a little adding onto my fears, but I get to the other side, nonetheless. That wasn't so bad.

Alfee starts our search and sniffs furiously the air and the earth, following an invisible trail, going from one lead to the next. This is no good; the rain is erasing any possible sent and at this rate, we'll be here all evening and all night and Hunter might be dying right now! Maybe Alfee just needs something of Hunter's to remember his smell a little. I scramble with the backpack, finding a scrap of cloth Hunter must've ripped off his shirt or pant when he dressed his wounds. I practically shove it up Alfee's nose.

His stance changes, fuelled with new found direction. He bounds forward, running and I keep up, staying by his side. As we jump over the ripples formed by the earthquake, I marvel at my new found agility. Do I really love Hunter this much?

Alfee leads me into the woods, and a murder of crows caw darkly from up upon their treetops. A thought hits me; since me and Hunter are the only two left, I don't have to worry about the other tributes finding me.

"HUNTER! HUUUUNNNNTEERRR! WHERE AAARE YOU?" I yell at the top of my lungs. I pause to listen. I make to yell again, louder but then stop. A tune -just a couple of notes really- comes in waves, like a round. The mockinjays, I think fondly. But as the melody becomes clearer, so does it become more familiar. I've heard it before, in a dream or in my sleep. _Hunter_ sang this to me! A lullaby passed down from his grandmother to his mother, and from her to him and his siblings.

But where is it coming from?

Encouraged by this hint of Hunter's existence, I run faster, Alfee following now both the sent and sound. We are not far from the crevice and within moments we reach a ledge, right beside an old Ash tree, atop the dried up river bank. For a moment all I can hear is my gasping breaths cutting into the silence. A mockingjay perched on a branch above me, whistles the tune, loud and clear. I sing out a new melody.

"Chicory, I'm right here," a raspy voice gasps.

"HUNTER!" I squeal. "Where?"

"Directly below you, numbnuts," he answers.

"Oh," is all I can manage.

I kneel to the earth and wriggle off the edge, most of my body dangling in the air. I grip whatever root I think is strong enough and let myself hang completely. I look down and see that if I let go it's a two or four feet drop, onto sand and mud. So I do and land safely. I glance at my surroundings; the underbelly of the ledge has been eroded by the water and by time, so much so that it's created a sort of dome, as if a chunk of the earth had been scooped out. And there, under a pile of leaves, mud, sand and twigs, lies my love, staring at me wearily.

He grins at me but it's half-hearted.

"Hey," he croaks.

"You…you…you IDIOT!" I yell, my eyes getting wet.

He's taken aback by my sudden outburst.

"Why didn't you just stay there, and wait for me to find you? Do you have any idea what so ever of how incredibly worried and terrified I've been?" I scream at him. I fall to my knees, partly because of my relief and mostly because my head is swimming again. My goodness, my head pains me so.

While I sob, I hear the rustle of leaves, a twig or two snapping and a few grunts. I inch closer in his direction and let his arms surround me. Absentmindedly, I scratch at my left arm and my hand comes away speckled with red.

I calm down and look up at Hunter, gazing deeply into his eyes and letting myself relax. He looks so very tired and weak, my heart aches. I lean in and kiss him lightly.

"Hmm. Sweet medicine," he says, grinning.

"I wish it was real medicine," I say sadly.

"Oh, but it is, Chic," he replies. I blush and hide my face in his neck. Another growling emanates from the Volcano, which is probably half a mile or so from us.

"Can it erupt more than once?" I ask Hunter.

"Unfortunately," he replies.

I don't think I'll ever forget the sound a volcano makes. The mountain is once again billowing smoke. I look around us and gasp. Little blue flowers are sprinkled everywhere around us, sprouting innocently out of the earth. I hear a faint buzzing sound. Bees? A single wasp comes a little too near us and I try shooing it away. It flies up, over my right and away.

"Are you okay to walk-, OUCH!" A sharp searing pain stabs me on my right shoulder. Through the pain, cold fear seizes me.

It happened when I was no older than four years old. Asterae had taken me to the woods to show me how to tell the difference between edible Fiddleheads and the non-comestible ones. Some had white fuzz that refused to come off; they tasted horrible. Others had a fine orange film and a deep groove in the stalk; those were the good ones.

We weren't very far from the fence. It was a hot day and we found a raspberry bush. I stuffed myself good and had juice and seeds all over my face. I heard the buzzing and then a sharp burning pain it my arm. I got dizzy and it was hard to breathe. Asterae's eyes were wide as plates and she swept me into her arms, running to the fence, to the apothecary's shop. Even though I must've been heavy, she kept on running until we got there. By then, I was barely awake, my head lolling from side to side. I heard muffled talking, my sister's pleading voice.

Next thing I knew, I was waking up in my bed. I called out and she came and brushed my hair and wiped my cheek with a cool cloth. When I asked what had happened, she said we'd been picking berries next to a Trackerjacker nest and one had felt threatened. Lucky for us it was only one. Her words were soothing like they always were. I cried and apologized. Anything from the apothecary's must have cost as much as father could make in a month. But she made me hush and said not to worry about it, that she had taken care of everything. She made me wear sleeves and a hood from there on out whenever I went outside.

Gasping from the pain, I clutch Hunter's arm.

"We've got to move, now Chic," he says, his face completely changed. He looks calm and composed. "Quick, Chic," he urges me up to my feet. He's already up, not putting any weight on his bad leg, supporting himself on the dangling roots from above us. Alfee barks down at us. We manage to crawl up onto higher ground, by pulling on the roots on the less abrupt side of the crevice. Another blast of pain shoots up my leg, where another poisonous stinger must be lodged. We stagger forward a few feet, the ground turning to jelly it seems. Vaguely, I think I hear Hunter give a yelp, and trip a little. I pull him up and push him forward, urging him to walk. I don't know why but I suddenly crave a swim.

"Shunter, Let'z go zswimming!" I say groggily.

"Hah?" he replies.

"Eeyeaah! It'll be so muttz fun!" I can't make my mouth cooperate with my words. I feel dizzy.

I have his arm around my shoulders, and I peer out through the trees, seeing the volcano coughing up smoke that turns the sky as dark as coal. The rain is pouring slightly, but it doesn't matter since we're both already soaked to the bone. Besides the rain and the grumbling of the mountain, all we can hear is our wheezing breaths and our clumsy footsteps as we tread toward the angry mountain.

When we reach the its foot, Alfee starts to get crazy, barking at us and pulling on my pants. I kick him away, slightly annoyed. He yips and whines.

"Shaddup Alfeee," I mumble.

"Chiiiiiic, we should go szwim in the lava pool!" Hunter exclames.

"Eeyeaaahh! Dat would be szo muttz fuun!"

We start to climb up making rocks tumble down. I think I hear Alfee barking once again. I look down and laugh, he looks so tiny, like a ball of gray and white. It's like he's glowing. The sky is completely black due to the smoke and the clouds that are pissing rain on us like there's no tomorrow.

It was hard, long and exhausting, but finally we've reached the top. It's so hot up here. I shrug off my pack and throw it into the pool. It splashes and burst into flames…pretttyyyyy. I wanna dive in and breathe fire like a phoenix! I turn to Hunter and see that Rae took his place.

"Rae! Letz go for a szwim!" I squeal, wrapping my arms around her middle.

"Chic, I don't know if that's a good idea," she replies but her voice is too deep.

"Buddif we go szwimmig, we can go home….right?" I ask her.

She remains silent and I look down into the glowing orange heat below us. I grab onto her hand and let myself fall in, half expecting her to keep a hold on me. But to my surprise she jumps with me. All I remember before hitting the heat is the loud buzzing and the cool rain and the barking.

* * *

**I...am so, so so so sorry for the long wait. I hope you like it and don't worry, the next chapter should be here before the end of the month, hopefully. I love you all for being so nice towards this Fanfiction and thank you for reading. Roxanne, toi aussi! :P**

**P.S. I've realized that most of you readers are only checking out this story and not its prequel. Althought you can easily just read this one, it hurts a little that you wouldn't want to know what happened before... :(**


End file.
